Light in the Shadow
by Alley Parker and Aryll
Summary: QuiGon lives and ends up training Anakin himself while ObiWan takes on another padawan. It's a story about the simplicity and complication of change. If things were different would the darkness be any different? Would the future?
1. Where It All Begins

Summary: AU: Qui-Gon lives and ends up training Anakin himself while Obi-Wan takes on a different padawan. It's a story about the simplicity and complication of change. If things were different would thedarkness be any different? Would the future?

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**A/N:** _Alley_: Hey everyone! It's Alley ( awesome author of 'Sorry' ) and Aryll ( totally talented author of 'Beautiful!' ) We decided to co-write a fic for ya! This is an AU featuring the 'Qui-Gon Lives' effect. :)

_Aryll_: Just read and enjoy! Kudos!

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"**Light in the Shadow**"

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Chapter 1

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He saw it a second too late. Darth Maul whirled around in a split second spin and set a boot right into his chest sending him catapulting backwards. It was an odd moment to feel stupid, but that's how he felt as he slammed into a walkway a few levels below, his body sliding on the polished surface which carried him off of the edge. It was a good thing he collected himself and had enough sense to grasp onto the edge.

As he hung, swaying, he felt a sudden, unexplained pain course through his entire body. It forced him into action. He lifted himself from the edge, ignited his light saber, leapt up onto the walkway Qui-Gon and Darth Maul were heading down, and shot after them with Force enhanced speed.

He scowled in irritation as the two battlers entered a time sequenced hallway of ray shields. Darth Maul whorled forward, losing Qui-Gon and seperating the two of them between a wall of angry red. Obi-Wan watched with a sudden nervousness as Darth Maul paced in front of Qui-Gon with obvious killer intent. His Master, in turn, set himself on his knees and took those spare moments to gather healing and clarity from the Force.

Obi-Wan shifted his weight from foot to foot with confounding restlessness. He had to get to them before the ray shields closed again, he _had _to rejoin his Master. He resolved to run like he had a swarm of Corellian raptor-wasps on his tail as soon as the rays parted.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the ray shields switched off and Obi-Wan was a blur. It felt like the extreme unease inside of his chest was dragging him forward, imploring him to run faster, and faster still. Qui-Gon and Darth Maul had already reached the end of the hallway and were locking sabers furiously.

Obi-Wan's subconscious blared an alert. The ray shields were going to close. He wasn't going to make it! No! He had to make it! Time seemed to slow around him as he streaked toward the end of the hallway, his breath heavy not with fatigue, but with panicked demand.

And the ray shields were closing...and he was skidding, sliding straight through that last one. He felt the hot brush of sizzling energy across his back as he tumbled into the small reactor room. Immediately lifting himself up, he swatted at the back end of his Jedi tunic which smoked from close contact with the powerful ray shields.

He was already on the move to the two in battle after a quick check that he would not be set afire. Lightsaber sweeping in, he joined his Master once more and the stifling dread that seemed to crush his heart left at once.

Only minutes later, with Darth Maul's face diminishing in tunneled blackness, did he question the strange feeling that had attacked him. He looked over at his Master and knew the answer to that question. He knew by the way his Master's breath rushed out, the way he slightly staggered to stay standing, the sweat streaking his brow. Darth Maul would've killed him.

Concern enveloped him as he stepped forward to offer a hand to his Master. Qui-Gon gave him a grateful glance, but only shook his head gently and took a few steadying breaths.

Obi-Wan stepped back, watching solemnly. If he'd been just a second too slow...

Well, no use thinking about it now.

Qui-Gon offered him a fatherly smile, which he returned with blossoming joy.

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( A week after the celebration of Naboo's freedom, back at the Jedi Temple. )

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Obi-Wan walked on his Master's left while the young Anakin Skywalker struggled to keep up on Qui-Gon's right. Noticing that Anakin was having trouble matching his gait, Qui-Gon slowed. Anakin gave him a grateful smile. Obi-Wan wanted to scowl, but only set his face in calm irritation.

The three of them stepped before the Jedi Council doors as they opened, letting them enter.

Qui-Gon led them, his Padawan standing respectfully behind, and to the left of his Master. Qui-Gon grabbed Anakin's shoulder and urged him to stand before him, presenting the youngster to the whole of the Jedi Council.

"Anakin Skywalker," Yoda hummed, his head inclining softly, green orbs regarding the trembling figure.

"Y-yes sir," he stuttered at the beginning before steadying himself.

Yoda allowed a ghost of a smile and then fixed his gaze on Qui-Gon. "Here on the matter of young Skywalker's training, you are?"

Qui-Gon nodded curtly. "I believe he is the Chosen One of the prophecy." The other council members exchanged quiet looks at this. "And I will train him," he said with a sternness in his tone that seemed to end the sentence with a '_whether you like it or not.'_

Yoda nodded slightly, his eyes roving to Obi-Wan. "Permission, you have given, to allow Padawan Kenobi to take the Jedi Trials?"

"Yes, Master," Qui-Gon responded without missing a beat.

Obi-Wan remained deadly silent, his expression unreadable.

"Wish to take these trials, do you, Obi-Wan?"

Obi-Wan felt himself flinch on the inside, but his outside remained solid. "Yes, Master Yoda."

Yoda stared at him for a moment that seemed to last a little too long. It was an uncomfortable stare. A knowing stare. Obi-Wan reverted his attention to Mace Windu to escape those wise eyes.

"Very well," Yoda said next, "If Jedi Kenobi passes the trails, converse over the matter of training young Skywalker, we will."

Qui-Gon nodded curtly. "I have no doubt that he will pass the trials."

Obi-Wan glanced at his Master's shoulder feeling a strange emptiness in place of the gratitude he should've felt.

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( Youngling apartments of the Jedi Temple. )

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A young girl sat in her room; she looked forlorn, her cheeks rosy from recent tears. It was only four days until her thirteenth birthday...four days until she was placed into the Jedi Service Corps. She had only four days to find a Jedi Knight, or for a Jedi Knight to find her.

Unwanted irritation prickled onto the surface of her placid emotions. How could the Jedi pass her up? She was the best healer of all the younglings, not to mention she had grades that were top of the class. Sure, she had a little trouble with lightsaber welding, but she was still very exceptional. And it wasn't like it was anything that couldn't be fixed under the guidance of a Jedi Knight.

So why hadn't she been picked yet?

She looked up as her door was knocked upon. Through the Force, she could feel the familiar presence of her best friend, Lexxa Lysk, outside of the door. Gripping the edges of her tunic folds, she wiped her eyes, and stood up.

She opened the door slowly, peaking out. "Hello, Lexxa," she said stoicly. She had no energy for enthusiastic greetings today.

Lexxa's brows furrowed in concern and sympathyfor her friend. "Ana, why do you stay in your room depressing yourself? Come on out, have some fun! You'll have a Master, I know it!"

Ana frowned, her hazel eyes dropping from her friend's coal-colored orbs to her own fingers which curled around the edge of the door. "I'm almost thirteen, Lexxa...four days...no Jedi Knight is going to take me...it's too late," she said faintly, fingers tightening their hold.

Lexxa's lips set in a solid, grim line, her eyes sparking with frustration. "Mariana Star, you will stop this moping right now! It doesn't become you at all! What happened to your optimism?" she asked with a huff, her hands on her hips.

Ana couldn't help but crack a small smile at her friend. Though she was four years younger than her, she had the mind of a young adult, that's why Ana liked her so much. "I'm sorry, Lexxa, you're right. I just...I feel so strongly, deep in the depths of my bones, I don't belong in the Jedi Service Corps."

"Then you won't be there!" Lexxa said simply before crossing her arms and looking up in thought, "You know...you could ask the Jedi Council if they would give you a Master?"

Ana's eyes widened in consternation. "Lexxa, are you mad? I'm not going before the Jedi Council just so I can whine over not having a Master. They have much more important matters to attend to!"

"So what?" her friend said with nonchalance, "Besides, I think this _is _important, you're the best in all our classes, you deserve a Master!"

"Sometimes I think that younglings only receive Masters if they're good with their lightsabers...look at you! You're nine and you already have a Master!" Ana grumped. Lexxa had received a Master only a few months ago. Ana couldn't say she was surprised, cause she wasn't. Her friend was exceptional in the areas of lightsaber dueling. When Ana watched her, she was in awe. Her friend moved like water, a technique that starkly reminded her of Master Kit Fisto.

Lexxa rolled her eyes, pushing the door open and stepping inside of Ana's room. "I know what you're thinking. And you can stop. You seem to forget how well you healed my knee when I fell! For Force sake, you've healed about every Youngling's injury in the entire academy!"

Ana rolled her eyes, closing her door, and sitting back down on her bed. "You do a good job of making small things sound big, Lexi."

Lexxa groaned, flopping down on a small chair across from Ana's bed. "Just trust me, Ana. You'll get a Master...I know you will."

Ana smiled up at her friend. "I hope so," she paused when she remembered that a Jedi did not necessarily hope since it might lead to a depressing let down, but she could not deny that this was the emotion that fit the current situation she was in. She found herself considering a Council appearance.

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**TBC...**

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Thanks for reading! Hope you liked! Please, tell us your thoughts.

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-Aryll & Alley


	2. Relief

**NOTE: **Aryll here with pictures of the person, ( Milla Jovovich ), I have cast to play the part of Mariana Star. These are pictures of how she would look like at age 13.

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www. iballer .com/ divas/ jovovich/ images/ j21 jpg. jpg ( -Just take the spaces out and put it in your address bar.- )

www. cinema24horas. com/ biografias/ millajovovich/ millajovovich. jpg ( -This is a picture I really like, I love Milla Jovovich's hair in this. The only thing is that Ana's eyes are hazel, and not Milla's blue. )

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"**Light in the Shadow**"

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Chapter 2

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Two days later...

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Ana sat in the great Jedi Archives, her hazel eyes roaming over a datapad, something Adi Gallia had suggested she read, and it wasn't like she had anything better to do besides read. At least reading got her mind off of the thing that was pressuring her the most.

"Star? Mariana Star?" a soft, lilting voice called.

Ana's head shot up, her expression one of question as Jocasta Nu, the Chief Librarian, moved over to her. With her sweeping, intricatly patterned, deep brown dress hiding her lower body, she seemed to glide across the ground.

"The Jedi Council has requested your presence."

Ana's heart seemed to stop inside of her chest. "D-Did they say what for?" she stammered.

Jocasta shook her head. "They only told me to tell you to report immediately."

Ana nodded her head, a cold hollowness seeping into her bones. "Thank you, I'll hurry."

Jocasta smiled and nodded before moving away. "Good day."

Ana bowed and collected her things before hurrying to the Council Chambers. As she walked, she felt as if she was moving through ice cold water that got thicker and colder with each step, dragging her down.

_Jedi Service Corps. _

Those three words haunted her thoughts relentlessly. The soft countering whispers of her subconscious yammered on. _You should be proud you are a part of the Jedi. You should be selfless in whatever duty is handed to you. _

She was proud. She was selfless...but even she had to believe that a Jedi deserved a little room for wants...just a little, she thought with tired shame. She just wanted a Master. Where was the harm in that?

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"Obi-Wan Kenobi. Pay attention, you will," Jedi Master Yoda said gruffly, causing Obi-Wan to start in surprise. The former padawan had been deep in thought about all the things that had happened recently. It couldn't be helped, his mind was so full up.

"I'm sorry, Master Yoda," he said respectfully, bowing in apology to the green master.

Yoda nodded gently, his clawed hands clutching the top of his gimmer stick. "As I was saying. Ask of you to take on a Padawan, we do."

Obi-Wan blinked in bewilderment. A Padawan? So soon after his passing of the trials? "Why so soon, Master, if you do not mind my asking?"

Yoda nodded curtly, humming to himself, his green orbs looking over at Master Windu, the only other Master present. This was not a matter of extreme importance, therefore the rest of the Council needn't be called upon.

"There is a Youngling by the name of Mariana Star," Mace began, steepling his fingers before him, "She is a very exceptional healer, and academically above all the other Younglings. But we have yet to find her a Master, and now that you have passed the trials, you are able to accept a Padawan." At Obi-Wan's questioning look, he went on. "Certainly there are other Jedi Knights who could preform this task, but we would prefer Youngling Star have a very capable, and intelligent Master to guide her down the path of the Jedi. And you are that Master, Jedi Kenobi."

Obi-Wan's brows rose. He was shocked. The two most important Masters thought so highly of him? He let his blue-gray eyes lock onto Yoda who offered a small smile.

"Willing to except this Youngling as your Padawan, are you?" Yoda asked with a calm expression.

Obi-Wan looked between the Masters, blinking. "If she is a Healer, shouldn't she be placed with a Master who exhibits these qualities as well? What good am I to her?"

Yoda nodded once more, smiling still. "Exceptional healer, she is. Need help in this area, she does not. Very smart, she is. Develop her healing powers herself, she can."

Obi-Wan inclined his head, still feeling a bit miffed.

Yoda sensed his thoughts and went on. "A bit lacking, her lightsaber skills are. Need a good Master for this, she does. Your style will benefit her greatly, I believe."

Obi-Wan nodded, his lips setting in a grim line. This facial expression usually came with tough decision making. Was he ready to take on a Padawan?

A flash of Qui-Gon and Anakin standing together presented itself. Subtle irritation bubbled within him before he dismissed it a second later. He found himself a little perplexed at the thought that had come with the previous feeling. His mind had whispered to him, _Take on this Padawan, make her better than Anakin. Make Qui-Gon regret his decision._ He shook his head.

"No?" Yoda asked, brows raised.

Obi-Wan jumped a little. "Oh. No. I didn't mean no. I-" he fumbled, looking to Mace Windu, and then dropping his gaze to the floor at the Jedi Master's penetrating stare, "If it would please the Council, I will take on this Youngling."

Mace Windu spoke, "Make this decision of your own free will, Obi-Wan. We are merely asking you. Youngling Star could be a valuable addition to the Jedi, we only want to give her the best training possible."

It seemed to click for some reason, at that moment. He felt the certainty. "Yes. I will train Mariana Star."

Both Masters smiled. "Very good. We have called her to these chambers, if you wish to talk to her." Mace said.

He turned a bit, looking over his shoulder. The door was still closed, but he could feel the nervous Youngling that stood outside. He furrowed his brows a bit in thought. So she was the certainty he felt? Something about her presence here had triggered a switch. It was as if the Force was trying to tell him that they belonged together. He turned back to the two Masters. "If I am not needed for anything further, I would like to talk to my new apprentice privately?"

Yoda shook his head. "You may go, Jedi Kenobi."

Obi-Wan bowed to both of them, before walking to the doors and exiting the chambers. He stepped out into the hall.

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Ana jumped to attention as the Council doors opened. She watched with curious anxiety as a young man stepped out to regard her in his cool gaze. She remembered him. She'd seen him a few times, walking the halls with Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn. He was Obi-Wan Kenobi.

She bowed hastily. "Mister Kenobi, sir."

Obi-Wan smiled at her faintly. "You must be Mariana Star."

"Yes, sir," she replied.

"You will be calling me Master now, my young Padawan," he said with a now much warmer smile.

Ana couldn't help it. Her heart lept into her throat. She had a Master! She finally had one, and just in time! She felt the pain of possible rejection leave her entirely. She was almost certain that she had been summoned here to be placed in the Jedi Service Corps. "Thank you, Master. I promise you I will be the best Padawan!" she said, beaming.

Obi-Wan smiled still. He had a feeling that she would be a very good Padawan.

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**TBC**...

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Thanks for reading, hope you liked. It's going to start getting really drama-y soon, lol. We all love good drama.

-Aryll & Alley.


	3. Developing Problems

**Reviewer appreciation**:

Thank you, Christina B! Here is another chapter for you, yay!

Thank you so much, Go For It!

Thank you, wosao! Your words were very inspiring!

Thank you, ClassicalBrunette! We'll keep updating, don't worry.

And thank you, storyshark2005!

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"**Light in the Shadow**"

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Chapter 3

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Two months later, Ana sat in the Temple cafeteria, her hazel eyes looking across the table at her best friend, Lexxa. Anakin Skywalker sat next to her, shoveling his food into his mouth as if he hadn't eaten in days. Ana couldn't help but smile at how perplexed Lexi looked.

"Please, Anakin, slow down. You're going to choke!" she pleaded, her brows furrowed in exasperation.

Anakin swallowed a large bite of food, washing it down with some milk before he spoke, "Master Qui-Gon runs me ragged! What do you expect?" he said in a voice a touch rueful.

Lexi sighed. "I know...but really, you should put more effort into it."

Anakin gave her one of his charming smiles before he nodded, proceeding to eat his food at a bit of a slower pace. That was, a bit.

Analaughed asLexi shook her head. "Don't worry, he probably has the esophagus of a Bantha."

Anakin sputtered in indignation, which nearly caused him to choke. "You're going to pay for that later," he warned, his eyes sparking determinedly.

Ana grinned, her own eyes glinting mischeiviously. "We'll see."

They continued to glower at each other until Lexi stuck her hand in Ana's face, breaking their eye contact. "If you two don't stop your little staring matches, your eyeballs will fall out."

"Oh no! I think it's already happened!" Anakin said in a false voice of anguish, before he shoved his boiled eggs in Lexi's face. She shrieked in surprise, jumping up from the table and banging her knee. "Anakin!" she yelled, rubbing at her leg. He laughed theatrically before speeding off; Lexi was quick to follow after him. Both disappeared out of the cafeteria doors and into the hallway.

Ana watched after them with a content smile, before standing up and moving to clear their table.

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Later that day, Ana and Lexi sat out in the gardens behind the Temple.

"You seemed down today," Lexi spoke up, "I was going to ask you if there was anything wrong, but Anakin decided to pull one of his little tricks."

Ana smiled gently, Lexxa could always see through her. "It's nothing really...just...my Master seems distant. I've done my best to get to know him, and I've kept my heart and mind completely open to him since we met...but he seems to be hiding something from me."

Lexxa gave her friend a soft half-smile. "All Masters are allowed to keep some things to themselves, Ana. Even my Master has not shown himself to me completely," she said, but a flash of a look crossed her face, one that seemed to say she didn't really care.

Ana frowned some. Lexxa seemed a little spacey lately. It wasn't really in her companionship, but more in her eyes. They seemed to get glassy all too often, as if she was remembering something. Ana could sense her friend's reluctance to talk about it yet, so she was remaining loyally quiet. If she was not informed of the problem soon, she might just have to bring it up whether Lexi wanted to or not.

"Lexxa!"a sharp call echoed out over the gardens.

Lexxa shot up immediately. "Coming, Master!"

Ana smiled at Lexxa's apologetic look, and waved. Lexi waved back and hurried down the path to meet her Master. Ana stood, watching them as they spoke. Lexi's Master didn't look very happy...he almost seemed angry. His short curly black hair was neatly in place as always, his gray eyes baring down on his Padawan, his height adding to his intimidating expression. Ana felt her blood boil momentarily before she was reminded that jumping to conclusions was never a good idea. It was her Master Obi-Wan's voice that repeated this statement inside of her head.

With a sigh, she set down the path to the Training Arena. She was going to practice a new lightsaber technique today according to her Master.

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"On time, as usual," Obi-Wan Kenobi said with a pleasantly pleased voice.

Ana smiled and bowed to her Master who stood in the middle of the Training Arena, his hands clasped behind his back. "How could I ever be late? I look forward to all your lessons Master," she answered truthfully.

"Well, I have a good one for you today," he said with a knowing glint in his eyes.

"Then let's see it," Ana replied with a smirk, igniting her blue lightsaber.

"I want you to do your very best, I will be going at you without restraints."

Ana's heart sped up with anticipation. She was going to face her Master at his_ full _technique. She readied herself, circling her Master who had now lit his glowing green blade. When he did not attack, she decided that she would be the one to take the offensive. There was no time for dwaddling with an opponent.

Lunging forward, she drew her lightsaber in a graceful arc, meeting her Master's blade in an overhead clash, the blades sizzling for a second before coming down at waist length and clashing again. Both moved back and forth in a frenzy of flashing lights, and Ana found herself growing tired of the demanding pace. She felt like she was missing something all of a sudden, and she struggled to identify it as she brought her blade in a wide sweep under her elbow. It was then that her Master's blue-gray eyes looked right into her own hazel ones and she knew she was defeated.

He brought his blade up in a split second, her blade in her right hand seemingly forgotten as she lifted her left hand level with her face. Obi-Wan stopped his blade a few inches from her hand, his brow raised in amusement, a soft smile on his lips. He straightened, extinguishing his green blade. "There. That's your problem."

Ana blinked, following his gaze to her open left palm, still hovering beside her face. "My hand?" she asked in puzzlement as she extinguished her own blade.

Obi-Wan nodded, reaching a hand to his belt and unclipping a second lightsaber. She blinked in surprise. How comes she hadn't noticed that?

She became even more confused as he placed this second saber in her left hand. "There. Now come at me again."

Ana wanted to ask desperately what for, but she knew that Obi-Wan wouldn't answer her. She just had to do, and find out why later. She really didn't like the idea of two lightsabers though, working with one was hard enough. Igniting both with a deep exhale, she centered herself the best she could in the few seconds of pause before rushing toward him, her wrists rotating to carry the twin blades in a double whirl of sizzling energy.

Ana attacked with one andguarded herselfwith the other whilethey moved wildly across the floor of the arena, sometimes flipping or tumbling.

"Come on, Master! I thought--you said you--were going to give it your--all?" Ana asked between blade strikes, her breath not heavy, but beginning to get a little shallow.

Obi-Wan smirked. "Just observing," he said before his defense suddenly solidified and he switched to offense, his one blade a smear of color. Ana dismissed her sudden bewilderment and quickly defended herself, though she found her body being driven backward even as she used both blades to the best of her abilities.

Ultimately, she was found on her knees, one blade catching the underside of Obi-Wan's, but it was a little too late as the tip of his green blade rested finger's length from her throat. The, sort of, upside was that her other blade pointed straight at Obi-Wan's chest, though it was a little more than a hand's length from it. Obi-Wan would've struck her down before she even had a chance to sink the blade into his heart.

His saber went out again, and he clipped it back at his waist, his expression satisfied. "Interesting. You seem to be better suited for Form X: Niman. A rarity among Jedi."

Ana blinked. Niman was a lightsaber technique that allowed the weilder to use two lightsabers at one time, one particularly used for offense, and the other for defense. "Well...I admit...it made things less complicated. Are you sure I should be using this form now? I thought I was better suited for Form I?"

Obi-Wan shook his head, motioning for her to walk with him. "Form I is not your strong suit, though you're best in it currently, you were unable to fully utilize your abilities. Form I was too simple, you needed more." Obi-Wan smiled warmly at her. "You're extremely coordinated, my young Padawan. Form I just wasn't challenging you enough."

She stopped when her Master halted at an intersection in the great hall. "You should grab some dinner. I have an appointment. I'll see you back at the apartment later. You may practice with your lightsabers if you wish."

Ana bowed. "Yes, Master."

With a fleeting smile, he split to the right and left her gazing at his back before she turned and went the opposite way to the cafeteria.

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Ana sighed irritably as she headed to the table that she and her two closest friends always sat at. She could see them conversing, and she could also see that Anakin was trying to discreetly glance at her. There was an evil look in his eyes.

Suspicious, she sat down, her hazel orbs regarding them both. "So, how was you guys' day?"

Anakin automatically stuck his pointer finger at her. "Hah! I got the last bowl of Naboo peach!"

Lexi rolled her eyes. "I thought you were going to wait until she asked you what you got?"

"I couldn't wait," he said, looking sheepish.

Ana was staring at Anakin's bowl of peaches. The peaches that she had wanted. That she had been looking forward to. Peaches so good that they helped her forget about her stress over her Master. Yes...peaches. "Come on, Anakin, give them to me. Please?"

Anakin held the bowl of peach slices up and with a fork, stabbed one, and shoved it into his mouth. "Hmmm," he said, munching with delight.

Ana narrowed her eyes. "This is about that Bantha joke, isn't it?" she said in exasperation.

Anakin pretended to ignore her and had another slice of peach.

Ana looked over to Lexi, who shrugged and said with a smile, "When he says he's going to do something, he does it."

Ana sighed.for the second time, before she started to laugh. "Sometimes I really wonder about you, Anakin."

Anakin just shrugged and pushed the rest of the slices over to her. "You've suffered enough."

"Oh, thanks," she said with sarcasm, but altogether looking thankful. After a moment she said, "I really don't know what I'd do without you guys."

"All thanks should go to Anakin, and his entertaining Bantha habits," Lexi said, elbowing the Jedi protégé who glared, a look in his eyes that clearly said, '_so you want to be next?'_

They all shared a quiet laugh.

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When Ana returned to her and Obi-Wan's apartment, her Master was not there. The fading light of an evening on Coruscant spilled across the light biege carpet of the living room, seeming to intensify the solitude of the apartment.

Ana scowled. Her Master was always home when she returned. So where was he?

She flopped down on the couch, wishing she that she already knew how to form mind links. She'd had a bad feeling when she'd been practicing with her lightsabers earlier. A painful feeling that seemed to strike a chord in her heart. Something was wrong. She knew it.

All she could do was wait.

So she sat back, gathering her legs to her chest and resting her chin on her knees.

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Obi-Wan made his way down the Jedi Temple halls, his pace brisk. His walk in the gardens had taken longer than he'd meant for it to take. He'd just been so deep in thought. He was sure his Padawan wouldn't mind. I mean, he----he slowed to a stop, standing in the middle of the moon bathed hall as a sudden realization struck him.

He hardly knew a thing about his Padawan.

Pursing his lips, he shook his head, and started forward once more. He would make up for his self-absorption. He finally came to terms with how stupid he'd been lately. All this irritation over his Master's Padawan, over his Master's lack of attention. Sure Jedi went their own ways, but Qui-Gon hardly even talked to him anymore. And it was almost as painful as if he wasn't even there.

Maybe he wasn't cut out for a Padawan yet.

He shook his head again. Mariana was the perfect Padawan. Obedient, calm, collected, skilled, intelligent. He hadn't had any problems with her...not one. Maybe that was the problem. He got too comfortable and let his thoughts center onto himself. But maybe that was better, too. He needed time to find himself, to let go of past attachments. He respected his Padawan for giving him the space he needed.

Feeling in a much better mood, he entered their apartment quietly. As he passed the living room, he stopped in his tracks, blinking a few times. "Ana?" He murmured to the figure draped across the couch. When she did not move, he walked over and leaned over her.

She was fast asleep.

He smiled at her sleeping face, the moonlight pouring over her giving her an angelic presence. Brushing back a stray, wavy lock of a auburn hair, he proceeded to pick her up bridal-style. He carefully moved to her room and set her down on her bed, pulling the covers up and over her.

She shifted some, her expression mildly troubled before it melded back into gentle serenity.

He sighed. He owed her. He would have to start paying back.

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**TBC**...

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Thank you for reading! I know it's a tad boring right now, but it's going to start getting more heated in Chapter 5, and drama city after that. Lol.

-Aryll & Alley


	4. Master Lottos

Hey lovely reviewers! Another chapter is ready for ya! Thanks to all your great, encouraging comments.

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**Note**: Here is a picture of the person cast to play Lexi in our story. This is a picture of when she's nine.

www. starmania. com / CourtneeDraper / images / hh. jpg

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Me, the Aryll, is thinking of drawing Obi-Wan/Ana pics and Lexi/Anakin pics sometime. :D Heh heh.

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"**Light in the Shadow**"

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Chapter 4

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Lexxa gazed around her room with a pleased smile. It was perfectly clean and organized. Her master would be…satisfied.

She fell on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. Her Master didn't know about her Music Pads or her Holo Discs, not to mention the data pads on which she recorded songs that she wrote herself. If he ever found all these things, he would be furious. He'd been mad enough this afternoon because she had let her room get a little messy. Ok, pretty messy, but that's what happened when she stayed up writing songs in the secret of night. Sometimes she barely even felt like a Jedi. It wasn't like she was treated like one, well, like one to the person it mattered most.

She thought of her report on the Durm'hel system. One in the outer rim. Her report had been the top of the class. But of course all she got was a "Let me read it." And then "Good. You could've enhanced your sentence structure and it could've been longer, Padawan." She sighed, reluctantly remembering the moment that he'd managed to pick even her best work apart.

Lexi envied Mariana with her nice, handsome master.

_Bheemp. Bheemp. Bheemp._

Lexi rolled off her bed and dropped to the floor, quickly digging under the mattress of her bed. She produced a small laptop, all rights reserved to Anakin Skywalker. This was another possession that her Master would not stand for if he ever found out. Lexi loved the little laptop though, and that fact that Anakin had pieced it together himself was even better. She opened the tiny computer and was greeted to a message alert from Anakin.

**JediHero**: _How's it going, Lexi? You like your computer?_

Lexi smiled. Anakin had made little computers for him, Lexi, and Ana. They were very old, and most of their parts were outdated, but they worked well enough.

**Avaline**: _How could I not like it? It's great._

**JediHero**: _I know, I'm a genius, huh?_

Lexi giggled. Anakin, always so modest.

**JediHero**: _Can I come over? I'm really bored._

**Avaline**: _No. Sorry, but my Master will be home soon and I should get ready for bed. I don't want anymore trouble_.

**JediHero**: _I understand. Hey, can I ask you something?_

**Avaline**: _You already did._

**JediHero**: _No, really. Why is your screenname 'Avaline'?_

**Avaline**: _She's an amazing singer from Haruun Kal. She's my favorite singer ever!_

**JediHero**: _Oh, ok, whatever. I'll see you tomorrow, then?_

Lexi rolled her eyes, and shook her head. It figured Anakin would care less about music.

**Avaline**: _Yea. Goodnight, Anakin._

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( Next Day: Late Afternoon )

Lexxa jumped at the ring of the doorbell. 'Anakin,' she decided happily and went to open the door for him.

"Hey!" She greeted her friend cheerfully. Her eyes fell to a disc he was holding. "What's that?"

"It's a new flight simulator." Anakin explained excitedly as he slid past her into the apartment, "Just came out yesterday! Master Jinn got it for me!"

"Wow, your master's really cool." Lexxa said, admiring the disc.

"You wanna play?" Anakin asked, plopping down on the couch. "I haven't played it yet."

"I'm not good at flying. Not like you are."

"It's fine. I'll teach you!"

"I don't even have the simulator base though." Lexxa said.

"That's why I brought mine." Anakin replied nonchalantly. He was already setting up the simulator base.

Lexxa watched in awe as the talented young mechanic set up the simulator base and entered the disc. Anakin returned to the couch and handed Lexxa one of the joy sticks. "Here it's pretty self explanatory."

Lexxa took the remote from him and studied it for a moment before nodding.

"So where do you wanna go?" Anakin asked, gesturing at the list of planets that appeared before them.

"Naboo?" Lexxa wondered.

Anakin nodded and selected Naboo. The two played for a couple of hours. Lexxa picked up pretty fast and Anakin started to have a harder time beating her. They took a break and Lexxa brought in some Jama Juice for them.

The comm unit signaled and Lexxa called it to her hand with the Force. "Padawan Lysk speaking." She said. "Anakin, it's for you."

Anakin took the comm from her. "Yes, Master?" Anakin said knowingly. He spoke for while with Qui-Gon and then hung up with an unhappy look on his face.

"What is it?" Lexxa asked.

"My Master is leaving now for the other side of Coruscant. He will be there all day tomorrow because of some political issue."

"I thought you didn't like political missions that involve only negotiations and absolutely no aggressive negotiations?" Lexxa teased.

"I don't." Anakin confirmed. "That's not the problem."

"Then what's wrong?" Lexxa repeated, her brows furrowing in concerned puzzlement.

"Ana's Master will be conducting my afternoon lightsaber training session."

"And?" Lexxa asked, still not catching on.

"I don't think he likes me much." Anakin said ruefully. He sent the comm flying back to the unit with the Force. It went too low and knocked over his cup of Jama Juice in the process. The purple liquid spilled all over the floor. "Sith!" Anakin muttered unhappily.

The door to the apartment hissed open at that moment. It was Lexxa's turn to cuss under her breath. The padawans stood as Lexi's Master Lottos marched into the living room.

"Lexxa. Padawan Skywalker." He said nodding to each of them. "Lexxa, dinner is in fifteen minutes, please-" he stopped noticing the splotch of Jama juice. The Jedi Knight glared at the two young padawans. "So which one of you is responsible for this mess?"

Lexxa noticed the flicker of fear in Anakin's eyes before his shields shot up and locked in place.

"I am." Lexxa said.

"Well, don't stand there, go get towels! Do something!"

"Yes, Master." Lexxa said as she ran to the kitchen.

"I think you should go home now, Padawan Skywalker." Master Lottos said cooly.

Anakin risked a fleeting glare before he bowed, grabbed up his things, and bolted out the door.

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Anakin hurried along down the great halls of the Jedi Temple. He let his legs guide him to a destination well known as he trapped himself in worried thought. Lexi had covered for him, and he felt horrible about it. What if she got in trouble? Like extra lightsaber practice? Or grounding from having any leisure time?

He slowed into a slumpy walk, his head hanging. All he ever did was cause trouble. If he'd had any Master other than Qui-Gon, he most likely would've been booted from the Order a month ago.

"Anakin? Are you all right?" A familiar, soft voice asked behind him.

Anakin straightened up and turned around to see Ana making her way toward him. She looked worn out. "Oh. Hi, Ana. Yeah, I'm all right, I just kind of got Lexi in trouble. I was visiting and I spilled my drink. She covered for me."

Ana gave him a sympathetic smile. "It's okay, it was an accident, right?" She frowned a bit. "I'm sure Lexi can tough it out...she's had to deal with her Master before...I'm just not sure if she tells the whole truth about what he says to her. I've been meaning to ask her..."

"We should ask her together. She shouldn't have to endure that by herself."

Ana nodded, walking beside him. "We should ask her at lunch tomorrow."

Anakin bobbed his head tiredly, sighing. "So Master Kenobi has you practicing everyday? Me and Lexi miss you."

Ana smiled sheepishly. "Don't worry. I'm just putting in a little extra practice until I get the hang of working with two lightsabers."

"Cheater." Anakin murmured.

Ana glared at him before licking her finger and sticking it in his ear.

"Ew, gross! You know I hate that!" Anakin cried.

Ana cackled and shot down the hall; Anakin sprinted after her.

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**TBC**...

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There you have it! Chapter 5 will either be out later today or tomorrow. It'll start getting to dah big drama drama in that chapter, lol.

Thank you for reading and reviewing!

-Aryll & Alley


	5. New Additions

Hello, a long chapter here for you, since we did not update yesterday. We try and update everyday, but sometimes we might not. Two days is usually the maximum.

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**Reviewer Appreciation**:

**Anwinn**: Thank you for your lovely review. And I e-mailed you, and told you that Lexi's Master was not a Jedi Master, but a Jedi Knight. He's sort of corrupt in a way, I guess you could say._Alley: _"Gasp Maybe he's a Sith!

**eac-dudette**: Thank you!

**wosao**: We're keeping at it, thank you for your support! 8D

**storyshark2005**: Obi-Wan is 25 right now in the story, cause it is a few months after The Phantom Menace, so he is without his beard. I don't know if he should grow one now considering I think he only grew one in honor of his Master's memory. What do you think? _Alley:_ I actually LIKE Obi's beard! It seems to fit him great! And I don't think he grew it to honor Qui-Gon's memory..so until the subject is settled it's up to your imagination I guess :)

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"**Light in the Shadow**"

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Chapter 5

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Ana yawned as she sat up in bed, the white sheets falling into her lap. She grabbed their edges and pulled them away from herself, letting her feet touch the softly carpeted floor.

After taking a nice shower, she dressed in her usual Jedi robes and exited her room to make some tea in the kitchen. Her Master, she knew, had stayed up rather late last night going over some report or another. She would never spy on him; she could only rely on his trust in her to tell her about anything important. What she really wanted was for him to confide in her if he was ever stressed. That was part of the role between a Master and Padawan, right? To lean on each other, even learn from each other.

She poured boiling water into two cups and set little tea bags in each alongside a spoon. Her master entered at that moment looking mildly perplexed. His features seem to relax when he saw that she'd made tea.

"Thank you, Padawan," he said with a smile, "You didn't have to."

Ana smiled back, waving a hand. "I don't mind."

They sat in a companionable silence as they drank their tea.

Ana felt compelled to say something after a while and with a deep breath, she spoke, "Uhm...Master?"

Obi-Wan tore his gaze from the textured wall of the kitchen, looking at her with raised brows. "Yes?"

Ana's eyes flicked down and then back up self-consciously. She felt stupid for saying anything now, and she almost wished that she could take it back. Obi-Wan waited patiently, his tea cup resting in both of his hands.

"I-I just feel shut out," she blurted, feeling flustered. If she did not finish now, she would never finish, "You never tell me if something is bothering you...and we hardly ever talk unless it has something to do with my training. I know that a Master is only suppose to train those he takes on and that he is not obligated to do anything else, but still, a Master-Padawan bond is more than that. Isn't it?" she asked hopelessly, her fingers clutching her cup. Her hazel eyes looked at him with confusion mixed in certainty.

Obi-Wan smiled, his blue-gray eyes now on his cup. They were a bluer color now, signaling that he was very calm. "You're absolutely right."

Ana sat up, her long, wavy auburn hair falling over her shoulders. "I am?" she said in surprise, before coughing, "I mean, yeah, I am."

Obi-Wan laughed softly and Ana smiled.

"I'm sorry, Padawan. I've had a lot on my mind...I meant to apologize sooner..."

Ana put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Master. You don't need to apologize."

Obi-Wan placed a hand over hers, nodding faintly. He would've argued with her, but there really wasn't any sense in it. Mariana was very adamant. "Then I promise, no more shutting you out." He waved a hand before him. "So help me, if I break that promise, may Yoda turn into a monstrous beanstalk and...sit on me," He ended a little falteringly.

Ana was already in a fit of giggles. "I don't know. Now I kind of want to see that happen."

Obi-Wan smirked, and stood. "No practice for you today, you can spend it with your friends."

"Thank you!" Ana hopped up, moving to grab his empty cup, but he stopped her.

"I'll do the dishes this time."

Ana's smile fell a little. She didn't want him to play the part of servant now. Afterall, she was the one who had gotten the cups out.

Obi-Wan bent down so that their faces were level. "Go, Padawan. It's just two cups."

She couldn't help but smile again. "Okay. Good day, Master."

"Good day," he said in a warm tone, already in front of the sink as Ana left the kitchen with a wave.  
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Ana carried her tray before her, walking evenly as she made her way to the table she sat at three times a day with two of her closest friends. Anakin and Lexi were there, as always, talking happily to each other. She sat down, and smiled at them both.

"Hey Ana," Lexi said with a cheery smile.

"Hey Lexi, how are you?" Ana asked as she buttered her roll.

Lexi shrugged and took a bite of her mixed vegetables.

Anakin glanced at Ana, and she caught his look. It was now or never. Ana held up three fingers, signaling for enough time to eat their food before saying anything. When three minutes were up, and three plates were near clean, Ana was the first to speak, "Lexi...we're worried about you."

Lexi blinked, looking at Ana in puzzlement. "What?"

"Don't pretend like you don't know. We want to help you deal with your Master, Lexi, but you never tell us the whole truth." Ana kept her volume down, cause she knew the subject was touchy. The cafeteria was usually rowdy, but it was the morning and everyone was tired, so the noise was only a dull buzz.

Lexi took on a defensive expression. "Never tell you the whole truth? Of course I do."

"Lexi," Anakin cut in, his voice low.

Lexi switched her gaze to Anakin and she seemed to break. Her bottom lip quivered and she found she couldn't face Anakin's intense blue eyes.The fact was that between Ana and Anakin, Lexi was closer to Anakin. It was strange considering she knew Ana before Anakin, maybe it had something to do with their age differences? Sometimes she found Ana complicated and confusing, she could never quite figure out her friend's moods, but with Anakin, it was like she could see everything. And he confided in her, about his deepest fears, of his mother, of being a Jedi. How could she hide anything from him? Overwhelmed with uncertainty, she leapt up from her seat and hurried out of the cafeteria.

Ana and Anakin shot each other worried looks before following after her. They tagged Lexi all the way to the gardens and after some mild searching, found her sitting on a bench in a little squared off section of flora. The brunette had her hands over her face, her elbows resting on her knees.

Anakin sat down next to Lexi, putting an arm around her shoulder. "Don't be sad, Lexi. We're your friends, we just want to help. We care about you, deeply."

Ana smiled softly at Anakin's face. He was trying his hardest to make the words he said count.

Lexi shuddered gently, lifting her head. Little tear tracks ran down her face. "I'm sorry, I just, I didn't want to concern you guys with my problems. My Master isn't horrible..or anything," she fumbled, hands clasped together in her lap.

Ana frowned. "I don't know what he says to you, Lexi, but always remember that me and Anakin love you. Don't let what he says get to you. Right, Anakin?"

"Right," Anakin reassured, one hand still wrapped comfortingly around her.

Lexi looked down at her hands. "Force, I feel so silly now. Keeping this from you guys..." she said with a sniff. "I know I have my friends, and as long as you're here by my side, I'll be just fine." Lexi was smiling when she lifted her head next. "We'll always support each other, and as long as we have one another, nothing can ever bring us down," Lexi said with a firm nod.

Anakin and Ana grinned. "Right," they both said.

Lexi opened her arm, gesturing for Ana to join in a big group hug. They all laughed softly.  
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With Anakin's Master gone on a boring political matter, Anakin reluctantly trudged to his practice with Obi-Wan Kenobi. He entered the room to find the Jedi Knight standing in the middle of the padded room, arms crossed. 

"You're late," the Knight said sternly.

Anakin looked off to the side, trying not to grumble sourly. "Sorry, Master Kenobi."

Obi-Wan dropped his arms to the side. "Very well, let's begin." He unclipped his lightsaber.

Anakin unclipped his Padawan Learner lightsaber, and readied himself. "What are we working on today?"

"Your defense," Obi-Wan said curtly, "Qui-Gon says that you're too offensive."

Anakin's bottom lip jerked to the side at Obi-Wan's almost mocking tone. _Please, just let this end soon_, he begged in his head as he set his stance.

Obi-Wan attacked first and Anakin blocked. He had to resist the strong urge to retaliate. This was a defense lesson after all. While Anakin was paying attention to the strokes of Obi-Wan's lightsaber, the Knight suddenly dropped and swept Anakin's legs out from under him. Anakin fell heavily onto his rear.

A lightsaber blade retracted as Anakin rubbed his back side. "Ow," he murmured as he stood back up. He looked at Obi-Wan who had his arms crossed once again, saber in one hand, brows raised. "Why did you do that?" Anakin asked him in confusion.

"You must expect any attack, Young Skywalker," Obi-Wan said in a lecturing tone.

"Yeah, but Master Qui-Gon has me focusing on my lightsaber skills right now. We don't work on hand to hand combat until later," Anakin said, brows creased.

"And who is training you today?"

"You, sir."

"Indeed. Stand ready again."

Anakin sighed, and set his stance once more. He was going to have one sore bottom.  
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Lexi and Ana were in Lexi's room, laying across her bed, both looking at a hologram that was playing on the small computer Anakin had given Lexi. It was a hologram of Lexi's favorite singer and both giggled as they hummed along to the music. 

"Wow, Lexi, I wish I could get a hold of some music pads. I never knew music could be this good. Obi-Wan says it's mind-rotting rubbish."

Lexi grinned. "That's what all the old Jedi say."

"Are you saying that Master Obi-Wan is old?" Ana asked with a playful glare.

"No," Lexi said with a smile, "he's just deprived. You should make him listen to Avaline."

Ana laughed loudly. "And you should make Anakin listen to Avaline. His ears would probably bleed."

Lexi giggled. "I don't know why he doesn't like music, I guess it's because we're girls," she said with a smirk.

"Yeah, Anakin's a man's man."

They were both enveloped in peals of laughter.

Suddenly, the door to Lexi's room opened, and Lexi's Master stepped inside.

"M-Master!" Lexi cried in surprise, sitting up. He wasn't suppose to be home for another two hours. This was the first time he'd ever come home early.

Master Lottos' eyes went from the two girls to the little computer sitting between them along with a stack of music data pads and holo discs. "What's this?" he asked firmly, stalking to the computer and picking it up.

"No!" Lexi blurted, about to grab for it, but she stopped herself.

Ana looked nervously from Lexi to her Master.

Once Master Lottos was done looking at the computer, he gripped it in one hand and with a few squealing creaks of metal the little device was crushed.

Lexi and Ana's eyes were wide in dismay. Lexi pursed her lips and pulled Ana from the bed, escorting her from the room and pushing her outside of the apartment. "I'll meet you at dinner." And then Lexi shut the door.

Ana stood outside, stunned.  
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Ana sat in the gardens until it was dinner time. And during that time of sitting there, she worried over Lexi. Had her Master smashed the rest of her stuff? ...Okay, so that was a stupid question. She sighed, checking the time. Standing up, she hurried out of the gardens and to the cafeteria. She hoped Lexi was all right. 

She skipped the line and went straight to their table. She felt relieved when she saw Lexi sitting next to Anakin. She looked okay...

"Ana," Anakin said, smiling, "hey."

"Hey." She said before looking at Lexi and sitting down. "Lexi..."

Lexi glanced at Anakin nervously. "It's okay...I didn't really care for the music pads anyway..."

"Lexi," Ana said, exasperated.

"What?" Anakin blinked. "What happened?"

Lexi glanced at Anakin again before looking away in shame.

Ana frowned sadly. "Me and Lexi had the computer out and we were playing holograms. Lexi's Master walked in and caught us. He trashed her stuff."

"What?" Anakin growled, "He smashed all of it?"

Lexi nodded. "I'm sorry, Anakin. Your computer is broken," she said miserably.

Anakin shook his head. "I don't care about the computer that much, I just can't believe he trashed all your stuff!"

"Well...Jedi aren't suppose to have possessions anyway...I was asking for it." Lexi looked away from them to the other padawans and younglings crowding the cafeteria.

"I'll make you a new one!" Anakin said defiantly.

"No," Lexi said with a rueful smile, "my Master knows I've been hiding stuff from him now. He's likely to check my room."

Anakin sighed. "Your Master needs to learn to have a sense of humor."

Lexi hummed and shrugged. "He just threw them away, that's all...he didn't really say anything. Just that he was disappointed in me and that I was grounded for a while. Sure, I'll miss my music, but I have you guys, right?" she said with a grin.

"Right," Ana and Anakin said together.

"I'll sing Avaline's music whenever you want," Ana laughed.

"And I'll provide the music!" Anakin added with a smile.

"I'll hold you to that," Lexi giggled before something seem to grab her attention. "I don't think I've seen her before, have you guys?" she asked suddenly, pointing over at a dark haired brunette. The girl sat alone at a table in the corner of the room opposite them. Her head was down and she was poking at her food, a long braid hanging over her right shoulder.

"She seems familiar," Ana said thoughtfully.

"I haven't seen her before," Anakin said, "but we should invite her over."

"Sure," Lexi said with a shrug.

"I don't mind," Ana said, shrugging as well.

"Okay, I'll go and ask," he said cheerily, making his way over to the table in the corner of the room. Ana and Lexi watched with interest as he came to stand before the table. The girl raised her head the next second, looking at him with irritation.

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Anakin smiled at the girl, unmoved by her annoyed expression. "Hi, my name's Anakin Skywalker, what's yours?"

"Nave-Aumry Zarrah," she replied tonelessly, "what do you want?" She seemed defensive, eyeing him suspiciously like he was suddenly going to pull out a pikatta pie and smash her in the face with it.

Anakin moved to the side to give her a view of the table where Ana and Lexi sat. The two girls offered friendly waves. "We just wanted to know if you'd like to sit with us?"

Nave narrowed her eyes, looking at the two girls before resting her eyes on Anakin. Nothing about him screamed deceit, not like it usually did when another person, usually a boy, tried to come over and offer her a seat at their table. Of course, that hadn't happened in a long time. She'd gotten here little over three years ago after her Master, Kel-Dor, had found her and taken her to the Jedi Temple. She'd eaten in the cafeteria at first, but when the people started to annoy her, she took her food out to the gardens. She'd been eating out there for most of her stay until it would start getting cold.

"Why do you care?" she asked with mild interest, not really exhibiting rudeness, just curiosity.

Anakin offered a very charming smile, "Because no one should be alone, and the more, the merrier!"

Nave couldn't stop the smile that split her lips. "Would you be saying that if a hundred wookies came and asked to sit at your table?"

Anakin seemed to be taken off guard before he looked up in thought. Nave blinked at his serious expresson, he was actually thinking about it? "Hmm...well, I guess so. Hope there'd be enough food though."

Nave laughed softly before standing. "Sure, I'll join you and your friends."

"Wizard!" Anakin enthused, leading her over to where Ana and Lexi sat.

Nave followed and sat next to Ana, sitting directly across from Anakin.

Anakin started introductions. "This is Lexxa Lysk," He said, gesturing to Lexi, "but you can call her Lexi. And that is Mariana Star, but you can call her Ana." Ana smiled kindly. "This is Nave-Aumry Zarrah, you guys."

"Hello, Nave-Aumry," Ana and Lexi greeted.

"Hello, Ana, Lexi," She said, nodding to both.

The four padawans talked for a long time, Ana, Lexi, and Anakin all getting to know Nave-Aumry better, while she, in turn, got to know them better as well. Nave was from the very small planet of Corda, and apparently she was royalty. She had been discovered with Jedi abilities when, her present Master, Kel-Dor Bane had been escorting Princess Nave and her mother from the planet at the threat of invasion.

Nave was nine years old now, and she was very intelligent. She seemed blunt at times, not willing to tip-toe around insinuated topics. She was also very independent and didn't mind her seclusion before. She was a natural loner, and it seemed it would take a little while for her to completely warm-up to them. If anything, she was the friendliest toward Anakin.

Ana smiled as she watched them talk, staying quiet for the moment. She noticed how alive Anakin seemed, how he drew people in, mostly girls. He was a natural charmer, a sweet boy with a heart of gold. But Ana knew he held in dark secrets, secrets that were none of her business. She could only offer him her undying friendship and leave the rest to fate, to the Force.

Ana could sense some faint connection with Nave-Aumry, a connection that spidered out to each of them through the Force, and when Ana took a moment to look deeper into those threads, she felt the sudden powerful emotions of pain and loss. She recoiled her focus immediately, blinking in confusion. What had those emotions meant?

She thought about it for only a moment, before mentally shaking herself. Whatever those feelings meant, she would not let them bother her. Nave-Aumry was their friend now; she was part of the pact that Ana, Anakin, and Lexi had formed on that very day in the gardens.

Ana would make sure it stayed that way. Pain or loss.

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**TBC**...

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Ah, if you thought that was a doozy, wait until Chapter 6, lol. Thank you for reading! Much love!

-Aryll & Alley


	6. Sun Rise, Sun Fall

Hallo! Another long chapter since the story was not updated for a little bit. Sorry about that.

Thanks so much to all the people who reviewed! You're too kind!

Here comes the drama! xD

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"**Light in the Shadow**"

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Chapter 6

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Obi-Wan felt ashamed at the way he had acted the other day. He'd been incredibly stiff with Anakin. He shouldn't have pushed the boy, but two days ago...whenever he saw Anakin, all he could see or think about was two days ago. Red gathered in his mind, and he struggled to control it. It even scared him sometimes at how raw the emotion was, how powerful.

He looked out of the wide window from where he sat on the couch in the living room. The stars could not be seen due to the bright lights of Coruscant, but he could see them clearly in his mind. So many missions, so many planets, so many different skies filled with different stars. He always had the occasional moment throughout his life when he was with Qui-Gon when he realized just how much his Master meant to him. It was one of those times now. Qui-Gon was as close as it got to a real father, and he had been abandoned without any real goodbye. No defining words of wisdom, no hug with the 'you were an exceptional padawan.'

When he'd passed the trials, all he had gotten was a pat on the back and a 'I knew you could do it.' And then Qui-Gon had gone on with his own life, almost like Obi-Wan had never existed. And he tried to convince himself that his former Master was just very busy making Anakin a good padawan, he didn't have the time to do anything else.

But two days ago...

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( Flashback. )

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Obi-Wan smiled as he saw Qui-Gon walking down one of the great halls of the Jedi Temple directly opposite him. He was walking at an easy gait, his hand at his bearded chin, looking as thoughtful as he ever did. He seemed to come out of his query when he heard Obi-Wan's footsteps and a smile came to his face. Obi-Wan's heart fluttered inside of his chest. Finally, some recognition.

"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said with good cheer, "how are you doing with your padawan?"

Obi-Wan stopped before his Master with a grin and shoved each hand into their opposite sleeves. "She's doing very well, a promising additon to the Jedi."

Qui-Gon apprised Obi-Wan with pride in his eyes, the corners crinkling gladly. "You're a very capable Jedi, Obi-Wan. You've always managed to adapt no matter what situation you find yourself thrown in."

Obi-Wan bowed to Qui-Gon. "You were a good, Master, Qui-Gon."

Qui-Gon smiled gently. "And you were a good Padawan."

Obi-Wan beamed that perfect smile of his before daring to ask, "Would you like to spar with me, Qui-Gon?"

His former Master's mouth was forming into the beginnings of a 'y', but then the rest never followed as a loud holler of triumph echoed down the hall.

"Master Qui-Gon! Master Qui-Gon!" Anakin was shouting as he sped around the corner, "You have to come see this! It's working! I made it work!"

Qui-Gon turned to his Padawan with an interested smile as he tugged at his Master's robes. He chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm before turning back to Obi-Wan with a sheepish expression. "Perhaps some other time, Obi-Wan?"

Obi-Wan felt something icy spread through his chest. "Sure," he mumbled, immobile.

"All right, show me this thing," Qui-Gon laughed as Anakin hopped up and down anxiously.

For a moment, it felt as if Obi-Wan were apart of some other being entirely. He was not himself. With the cold breath of ice came the melting heat of anger and sorrow. How could he be so easily brushed off? And for what? That pathetic little ingrate?

It was almost too late when he realized that these emotions were oozing out of him. He quickly shoved them in and assumed a nonchalant expression as Qui-Gon turned for a moment, concerned. "Obi-Wan?"

The young Knight blinked, raising his brows. "Yes?"

Qui-Gon stared for a moment before shaking his head absently. "Good day." He moved off with the energetic young Skywalker.

Obi-Wan felt that if he exhaled, he might possibly see a cloud of vapor. And if he moved, he would fall to pieces. So he stayed there for a long while and then he left to the gardens.

-

( End Flashback. )

-

He could feel every short exhale of breath, every cool inhale. He grabbed the end of his right sleeve with his hand and brought it up to his mouth, breathing through the coarse fabric. His breaths were warmer now. He closed his eyes, steadying his thoughts. He was twenty-five, he was an adult. His emotions were silly and childish. Anakin did not ask to be a slave, nor did he ask to be 'The Chosen One,' that was if he was 'The Chosen One.'

He ran his hand over his face, sighing heavily.

"Master," a soft voice said, startling the Jedi Knight.

Ana stood in the doorway, watching Obi-Wan with curious hazel eyes, a gentle frown on her lips. "It's the middle of the night," she said with obvious concern.

Obi-Wan let out a mildly exasperated huff. "I'm sorry, Padawan. I couldn't sleep."

Ana glanced out the living room window as she moved over to the couch, sitting down beside her Master. "Then I will stay here until you're ready to."

Obi-Wan frowned. "Ana."

Ana shook her head. "I can't sleep knowing that you can't sleep."

Obi-Wan stood. "Then I will go to sleep now."

Ana adopted a stubborn look. "No you won't. You'll just go in your room and lay in bed. You need your rest more than I need mine," she reasoned.

Obi-Wan smiled endearingly, sitting back down. "I will make a deal with you. You may stay out here with me for two hours. If I don't go feel like sleeping by then, you must go back to bed anyway. Deal?"

Ana seemed unhappy with the arrangement, but nodded anyway. "Deal."

"Good." Obi-Wan smirked and leaned back on the couch. He gazed at his apprentice curiously before speaking again. "You've been practicing. Your oneness with the Force is very strong for your age."

Ana smiled, lifting her legs up from the floor and crossing them on the couch cushions. "I want to do great things for all life forms, Master. If I am to make any difference, I must be as strong as I can be."

Obi-Wan's blue-gray eyes softened. "Then I have no doubt that you will one day be a great Jedi Master."

Ana's eyes lit up happily. "Do you really mean it?"

"Always and forever," he said with a tender smile.

Ana beamed proudly.

-

* * *

-

Ana hopped out of bed when she woke, even though she'd stayed up with her Master well past two hours. They had talked about all kinds of things. Their likes, their dislikes. Ana giggled as she dressed in her public attire, remembering how similar they were with the things they did not favor.

She felt so refreshed. She knew so much about her Master now, of course, she was sure there were many more things to learn, but considering how much she knew of him before, she had made definite progress.

After brushing her wavy locks, she moved out of her room and into the kitchen where Obi-Wan was already shuffling about, readying some tea. "Good morning," she greeted.

Obi-Wan looked over his shoulder and smiled. "Good morning, Ana."

She sat down at the little island table and he soon joined her with two steaming mugs of fresh tea.

"I'm not going easy on you in practice today," he said sternly, but playfully.

Ana laughed. "And neither am I."

He smirked.

-

* * *

-

After her practice with her Master, Ana proceeded through the Jedi temple halls to Lexi's apartment that was shared with her own Master. She had not seen her friend at breakfast and she was a little worried. Lexi had never missed breakfast before.

She stepped before her friend's door and knocked. She had to wait for a long while before Lexi's Master came to the door, opening it only halfway and placing himself so that he blocked all view into the apartment. "Yes?" He asked curtly.

Ana resisted the urge to scowl. "Is Lexi here?"

"Yes." He raised his brow expectantly.

Ana blinked in confusion. Didn't he get the hint? "Can I talk to her?" she asked with wide, mocking eyes.

"I have forbidden that Lexi talk to you, Padawan Star. You and that little machine loving miscreant," he said with a small sneer.

Ana's features hardened in extreme dislike. "You can't make her do anything," she said stingily.

"As a matter of fact, I can. You forget your place, _padawan._" Lottos said firmly, looming forward.

Ana's brows furrowed angrily. "She has a right to the friends she makes! You can't control who she talks to and sees!"

He smiled, unbothered. "I think you're mistaken, because I am doing it right now." And then he shut the door in her face.

Ana's mouth dropped open, her expression appalled. _How dare he do such a thing! _She could feel the rage boiling deep within her gut and spreading throughout her body until her fists were clenched so tightly her knuckles were turning white. "We'll see." She seethed, turning on her heel and heading toward the Council Chambers. She'd had enough of _Master_ Lottos.

-

* * *

-

It was only an hour later before Ana found herself standing next to an inquisitive Master Lottos, both in the view of Master Yoda and Master Windu. Since the matter did not call upon such importance as to summon the other Masters, the two who were usually available presided to handle any problems.

"A problem, you have, Padawan Star," Yoda stated, opening the conversation.

"Yes, Master." She glanced harshly at Master Lottos. He had the complete look of nonchalance and confusion.

"And what is your problem, young one?"

Ana took a deep breath. "Master Lottos has been very rude to me, and to my friends. He refuses to let me see his padawan, Lexxa Lysk. I find that unfair, Masters. She is my best friend."

"Knight Lottos?" Mace Windu asked, brows raised in question.

Lottos blinked, looking at Ana innocently. "I have no idea what she is talking about, Masters. I merely told her that Lexxa was busy meditating. Her training is important, especially at her young age. I was not aware that I offended her in any way."

Ana's eyes widened in disbelief. Liar! Rotten liar! "That's not true! You told me that you forbid me to see her, and that I had no say in anything!"

Master Lottos looked at her like she was crazy. "I'm certain I said no such thing. Have I done something in the past to offend you, Padawan? You seem angry with me."

Ana practically felt dizzy with ire. "_What?_" she managed to hiss out, "How_ dare _you lie to Jedi Masters! I can't believe this! You don't deserve to be a Jedi, you low-down, stuck-up, rankweed sucker!"

"Padawan Star!" came Mace Windu's sharp reprimand, immediately washing Ana in a pool of shame. She recoiled, her anger near forgotten as the Korun Master looked at her gravely.

"Please, don't punish her, Master Windu," Lottos interjected, "she's obviously upset over something, she wasn't thinking."

Ana's mouth opened and closed wordlessly, her mind trying to grapple for something to say. It took her all her power not to go off on another barrage of insults.

"Knight Lottos has been nothing but polite since he has been here. And your previous actions have done nothing to prove your accusations. This matter looks settled to me. You seemed to have had a misunderstanding, it would do you good to listen next time." He watched her pointedly, challenging her to oppose his judgement. When she said nothing, he closed the conversation. "You may go. Though Master Lottos has saved you from a proper punishment, your Master will still be contacted and informed of your actions."

Ana let out a tiny moan, before dropping her head and nodding. "Yes, Master Windu," she said sullenly.

"And you would do good to change your attitude."

Ana swallowed thickly. "Yes, Master."

She looked up sadly, her eyes going from the calm and collected Lottos, to the disappointed Mace Windu, and lastly to the curious gaze of Yoda. She turned away and left the room, tears prickling her eyes. She kept them in until the turbolift doors closed and then they were rushing down her cheeks. "Stupid, lying nerfherder!" she sobbed, kicking the wall of the lift. She ran from the lift, all the way to the gardens and stayed there. She would put off facing her Master for as long as she could.

-

* * *

-

It was nearly sundown when footsteps sounded close by. Ana sat on a bench far back in the gardens; she had collected herself now and was merely thinking of what she would say to her Master. He of all people would believe in her, would he not? She watched the opening in the bushes apprehensively, that is until Lexi appeared there.

"There you are," she said with furrowed brows.

"Oh, Lexi," Ana said sadly, standing up, going to hug her, but her friend backed up, preventing her from touching her.

"I can't believe you, Ana. You went to the Council about _my_ Master?" Lexi said in frustration.

Ana blinked in confusion. "He's controlling you, Lexi! It's getting out of hand, he needs to be stopped!"

"And what you did helped me?" She asked crossly, "You only made things worse, Ana. Do you realize how mad my Master is now?"

Ana stepped back, hurt. "But I was just trying to keep you safe! I was worried!"

"I said I needed your support, Ana! I didn't say I wanted you running to the Council just to stir things up." Her expression was forlorn. "I said I could handle it, and you didn't believe in me!"

"That's not true! I believe in you-"

"Then why did you do that?" Lexi interrupted.

"I was just--"

"You were just looking out for me, huh? How can we be friends if you can't even trust in me, Ana?" Lexi said sadly. "It hurts me to know that you think I'm not strong enough to handle my own problems. Is it because I'm a little kid? Are you so much better cause you're four years older?"

Ana wanted to cry again, but for some reason, the tears were in her heart and not on her cheeks. "It's not like that. Please, I'm sorry, Lexi. I won't do it again."

Lexi watched her with a deep frown, her arms crossed, body shifting uncomfortably. "I-I understand, Ana. Just please, I'm not a little kid, okay?"

Ana closed her eyes, regret filling her. How had everything backfired so badly? She thought she had it all under control...what an understatement. "Okay..."

Lexi nodded, sighing. "I forgive you..." There was a long, sad silence. Lexi broke it. "Come on, dinner is being served. Anakin will worry about us."

Ana nodded before following sullenly after Lexi. This had to be about the worse day of her life.

And it had started so good, too...

-

* * *

-

Nothing was mentioned to Anakin while they ate. Lexi kept up normal conversation with Anakin, managing to keep her tone normal and unbothered.

Ana only ate her food silently, talking if either asked her a question. When Anakin asked what was wrong, she only said that she hadn't slept last night and she was tired.

When they were done, Lexi got up with Anakin and with good nights, both left to their quarters. Ana roamed the halls for a little while, still reluctant to return to her and Obi-Wan's apartment.

After a while, she was scolded by none other than the Cheif Librarian, Jocasta Nu, and was told to return to her quarters. She depressedly slumped her way back to the apartments.

-

Ana stepped inside of the apartment as quietly as she could.

"Ana," a voice said firmly from the living room just as she closed the door. She winced and remained where she was as if just standing there would change the way things were. She felt so stupid for the way she has acted and in front of the two most important Jedi Masters of the Council. She just couldn't help it, a thing she had recently realized about herself was that when her friends were in trouble or threatened, she locked up into this radical defensive mode.

"Ana," Obi-Wan's voice said again, more tired.

Ana frowned sadly, walking slowly down the hall and into the living room. Obi-Wan sat on the couch, staring down at a holopad. He must've got the message just a little while ago. Ana stayed by the entry way, head down.

There was a long silence before her Master emitted a sigh. "I believe you."

Ana looked up, hazel eyes blinking. "What?" She whispered.

Obi-Wan turned his head to her, motioning for her to sit down beside him. He did not look angry. Ana complied and sat gingerly next to him. He took her hand. "Why didn't you tell me first, Ana? What you did was extremely foolish."

Ana felt her cheeks start to burn again, but she refused to let her emotions get the best of her. "I'm sorry, Master. I don't know what came over me...Lexi was my best friend, how could I stand by and let her Master be so mean to her?"

"Was?" Obi-Wan asked softly.

Ana looked away, sucking in her breath. "She came to me...she was so mad at me, she said I made things worse. I said I was sorry and she said she forgave me...but I know she's still upset with me. I broke her trust...and now things aren't like they used to be, now there is this tension between us...I can feel it, even if I can't see it." She looked away, her free hand covering her mouth.

Obi-Wan was quiet for a long moment, giving her time to gather herself.

She turned back to him; she thought she had her emotions in control, but her heart skipped a fearful beat and the cage opened, letting everything out.

She cried openly, trying to pull her hand from Obi-Wan's so she could retreat to her room, but he held on to it. She looked at him with frustration that melted into sorrow at the look on his face. He didn't mind and he didn't care. He only understood and forgave. Because once he had done the same and he had been alone with everyone's hidden anger. He didn't want Ana to be alone.

She cried into his tunic front, hugging him, her shoulders shaking, and he hugged her back, whispering gently, "Everyone makes mistakes, Ana, even Jedi..."

-

-

**TBC**...

* * *

-

-

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed.

-Aryll & Alley


	7. Questions

-

It's two years later now, we're going to be fast forwarding in this chappy and in the next, so yep!

Anakin, Lexi, Nave 11 / Ana 15 / Obi-Wan 27 ( The rest I'm sure you can figure out or wooteva. )

-

* * *

- 

"**Light in the Shadow**"

-

-

Chapter 7

-

-

( Two years later... )

-

Screams. They were screaming. It pained her ears and, afterwards, left them ringing. They sounded so small, these screams; so alone. So forlorn.

Who were they?

_Who?_

-

Ana sat up in bed with a gasp that filled the room. She looked around uneasily, cold sweat trickling from her brow. Her stomach was roiling, and with quick steps, she raced to her bathroom and proceeded to empty out last night's dinner.

Struggling for breath, she sat on the cool tiled floor, her hands held before her, shaking. Before she had woken up, only seconds before, images of Younglings strewn about the temple halls had assailed her. They were all lying so still...so motionless and though they did not look dead, she knew that they were.

She brought a hand to her forehead, blowing out a pint up breath. Nothing was going to happen to them, right? The Younglings would be fine. But teachings from her classes in the days that she was a Youngling came back. Force visions...how they often led to reality. The dream she had could never lead to reality could it? How could the Jedi ever let themselves suffer such a fatal blow?

She shook her head, feeling dizzy. She brought up the last of her dinner and leaned back against the smooth bathroom wall tiredly. The dream meant nothing...it was just a dream...

And yet the pain felt so real...so staggeringly real...

"Ana?" Obi-Wan's cautious voice drifted from inside of her room before he appeared in her bathroom doorway. His expression immediately washed into great concern. He knelt beside her, frowning. "Padawan, what happened? Are you sick?"

Ana closed her eyes, feeling very tired. "I think so..." This was the only response she could muster.

She faintly recalled being moved before she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

-

* * *

- 

"She had a mild fever, but it has gone down now. I suggest letting her rest for at least a day before putting her through any rigorous training."

"Do you know what caused this reaction?"

"..well, something seems to have stressed her to a point of physical exhaustion. I do not know her thoughts so you will have to ask her yourself, if anything is bothering her, that is."

"Yes, thank you very much."

"It was certainly not a problem, Obi-Wan. We've all had our fair share of over-exertion. She has probably just been pushing herself too hard."

"Yes, you might be right..."

-

* * *

- 

Ana opened her eyes slowly, blinking to adjust to the light.

"Good morning," the voice of her Master greeted.

She turned her head to look at him, offering a tiny smile. "Morning...what are you doing in my room?" she asked with some confusion.

Obi-Wan sighed. "We're in the infirmary. You were sick."

Ana sat upright suddenly, the headrush following soon after. She hunched over, shaking it away. Obi-Wan stood beside her bedside now, leaning over her.

"Be careful. You're fever may have gone away, but you still need rest."

Ana let out a small whimper, shaking her head. "I had a horrible dream, Master. I wish I had forgotten it," she whispered.

Obi-Wan sat down next to her, frowning. "What was the dream about?"

"The Younglings...they were all dead." She could sense her Master's disbelief. "But it was so real! I could feel the pain, and I could see the carnage as plain as day. Something terrible happens here..."

Obi-Wan watched her with a grave expression. "Padawan-"

"Please, don't tell me it was just a dream," Ana interrupted, looking up at him tiredly, "I'm not saying it wasn't one, and I'm not saying it was a Force Vision. I just...it felt like reality...like the future. But I also felt something there, something in the background of it all...a thread of light that led away from that...to something else..." She sighed. "I'm so confused..."

Obi-Wan did not know what to think of his padawan's dream. He placed a comforting arm around her shoulder, letting the silence craddle them. "I would not worry over it, Ana...the Force often offers us many strange things...and revelations. But all of the Jedi, you, and me, we will never let anything happen to the Younglings. And nothing will ever change that."

Ana listened to the determination in his words, and believed. He was right. The Jedi would never let anything bad happen to the Younglings. They would be fine. And her dream was only a dream.

She hugged her Master close, resting her head on his chest. "Thank you, Master."

"Anytime, Padawan."

Ana stayed in his warming embrace for a long while, sleep creeping up on her with silent feet. She thought about her past. All the Jedi classes and training before seemed like a blur. Ever since she'd been placed under the guidanceship of Obi-Wan Kenobi though, time seemed to slow and she didn't feel as rushed to be something important, to get somewhere, to be someone. Obi-Wan's presence calmed her frustration to bring on the future. He taught her to live in the moment, and accept things as they came.

To her, he was the greatest Jedi she had ever met.

She cared about him; so much so that a silent fear had awoken deep inside of her heart...

-

* * *

- 

Nave-Aumry entered the infirmary, a pretty bouquet of purple and white flowers in one hand. She looked about some before spotting the room Ana was being held. She entered after giving a gentle knock.

Ana sat on her bed reading a rather thick book. She looked up curiously as Nave came in. "Hey! Oh wow, you brought me flowers." She smiled. "I'm not really sick, you didn't have to."

Nave rolled her eyes at Ana's modesty and handed the flowers over. "Take them anyway."

Ana took them without complaint and looked back up at her friend. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. Just got back from lunch with Anakin. It's too bad Lexi is out on another mission with her Master. He loves to keep busy." She said the last part with distaste.

"Yes." Ana sighed. "I think she gets a break when she returns from this next one though."

"That's good, she needs break," Nave murmured before turning some, "I was just dropping by to make sure you're all right. I have to go now." She rolled her eyes. "Lightsaber practice."

Ana grinned. "Good luck, and thanks."

Nave saluted her with a smirk and left. As she walked through the halls to the training room, her thoughts wondered onto Anakin for the fifteen time that day. They'd had a conversation at lunch, and it had brought something out from deep inside of her. Something that she had been aware of, but always too cautious to bring it forward.

They'd been talking about the Jedi cause, Nave had commented sourly, and Anakin had gotten on to her about her constant negativity. It wasn't that she never acknowledged the good in things, it was just how she saw certain matters, and to her it was a truth, if not a more examined side. To her, it felt like everything had a dark purpose, something wasn't right.

She remembered seeing the Supreme Chancellor once. He'd personally sent for her Master, Kel-Dor, to congradulate him on the important victory of one of his missions, and her Master had brought her along. She could still recall the ominous fog that seemed to settle itself around the senate building, getting thicker as they entered the Chancellor's office. It wasn't like it was an overpowering sense of darkness, it was very subtle and scattered. Nave knew that she'd always had heightened senses for the Dark Side.

She'd been suspicious of Palpatine at first until she realized that many people contained these dark auras...even Jedi. Irritated by her confusion, she ignored these things and went on with life. Every person had a dark side, it was just more pronounced in some.

Now she questioned these things. She was eleven years old and getting smarter by the day. Her natural curiosity to understand brought her to many disturbing conclusions. Ones that she used to tell her Master until she realized they only brought him discomfort. She stopped telling and kept them in her head.

It would be a while until she had the guts to say in her mind that the Jedi were fools...

She'd been hurt by Anakin's rebuke, but he'd good-naturedly told her that he was kidding, and that he loved her anyway. All whilst slinging an arm around her shoulder and hugging her with a grin. The word 'love' stuck inside of her mind though. And now she couldn't rid herself of it.

When she remembered her Jedi training, her blood boiled, and she became irritated. Why should the Jedi deny themselves love? The one thing that wasn't physical, but spiritual. Love was something of the soul. Jedi already purged themselves of so many necessities, couldn't they be allowed one smidgen of happiness?

She found that most Padawans lived for their Masters, and in turn, Masters lived for their Padawans. She'd heard all too often of the heart-crunching pain a Master or Padawan suffered when either died and left one alone. That person had been their soul reason for existence. If not to make the Galaxy a better place for them. In reality, all Jedi were selfish to some extent and each loved in one way or another.

The Order was silly to her. The Order did not make sense...

Maybe she was just too young to understand.

-

-

**TBC**...

* * *

-

Sankish for reading our shtory! Lol. You're too kind.

-Aryll & Alley


	8. Uprising

Back again. Wow! So sorry for the long wait. Aryll got an incredible case of writer's block. xx;

-

And, ah yes, I just wanted to put rights on the character Nave-Aumry Zarrah. She is not of my creation, and ninety-nine percent of her is all "Isyss.'" Uhmm, just go to "www. Isyss. deviantART. com" That is her art site, and stuff, and where you can find her.

The reason why I say 99 percentis because 1 percent was my random imagination, i.e., the stuff about Nave-Aumry's master and her sensitivity to the Dark Side. I don't know the whole Nave-Aumry background, so some of the stuff I just make up. Lol. Hopefully Asia won't mind too much.

But really, check out her site, it's kickarse.

-

-

**Other than that**, I have pictures for the characters new ages and stuff.

19 year old **Mariana Star **now looks like this: www. djfl. de/ entertainment/ stars/ galerie/ m/ milla(underscore)jovovich/ milla(underscore)jovovich(underscore)025.jpg

15 year old **Lexxa Lysk **now looks like this: www. starmania. com / CourtneeDraper/ images/ Cdraper. gif

-

* * *

- 

"**Light in the Shadow**"

-

-

Chapter 8

-

( Four years later... )

-

A whole week to herself! Fifteen-year-old Lexxa Lysk could barely believe it. After the last year of strenuous missions she was back at the temple and without her master's supervision since he had another assignment to attend to off world.

Lexxa made her way to the training rooms and stopped at the holoboards to read the announcements.

-

_Fencing tournament in two weeks. All padawans interested in competing, please sign up with Master Bondara. _

-

Lexxa smiled. The annual fencing tournament was always a cause for great excitement around the temple. She was usually one of the first to sign up, along with Anakin.

_Anakin_… Her thoughts swayed in her friend's direction and she welcomed the warmth that accompanied them. It had been several months since she had seen him.

She was brought out of her daze by slightly raised voices. Anakin's was one of them. Curious, Lexxa stuck her head into the training room.

Anakin and Qui-Gon Jinn stood in the middle of the chamber, facing each other. Anakin was fixing Qui-Gon with a defiant stare.

"That was three months ago, Master!" Anakin was saying.

"Anakin, do you want complications?"

"I'm perfectly okay, Master. Ask the healers if you don't believe me. Besides, you know I'm fine. You're just too overprotective."

"Is that so?" Qui-Gon asked, a smile jerking at the corners of his mouth.

"Yes," Anakin replied firmly, "I even beat you yesterday."

"That was luck."

"Master? Aren't you the one who always says there is no such thing as luck for a Jedi?"

"Well, I wasn't going at you without restraint," Qui-Gon presented another argument.

"Yes, but you are a Jedi Master."

"Not yet, Padawan. The council has not made it's final decision."

"Oh, blast the council!"

"Anakin," Qui-Gon warned but Anakin wasn't listening. His eyes were fixed beyond Qui-Gon on Lexxa who stood quietly in the doorway.

"Lexi!" Anakin called, delighted to see her again.

Qui-Gon turned around. "Ah, Padawan Lysk. I presume your last mission was successful?" Qui-Gon asked smiling kindly.

"Yes, Master Jinn, it was," Lexxa replied, bowing respectfully.

"That's very good. I suppose I should leave you two then. Anakin, we will continue this discussion later," Qui-Gon said before leaving the room.

Anakin scowled at the closing door before turning his attention back to Lexxa. "I've missed you."

Lexxa nodded, suddenly feeling quite awkward. "I've missed you, too," she murmured. Anakin had grown since the last time she had seen him. He was a couple of inches taller, his body was even more toned, and there was that mature look in his eyes. "Anakin, why doesn't Master Jinn want you to participate in the tournament?"

"He does," Anakin answered with a shady look.

Lexi tilted her head to the side giving him a look.

"Some nasty stuff from a mission three months ago," Anakin disclosed.

Lexi met his sky blue eyes with her concerned ones. "Anakin…you got hurt?"

"It wasn't the first time." Anakin grinned. "I totally saved the mission though."

Lexxa smiled softly. "So are you planning to get into the top four this year?"

"I'm planning to win," Anakin said nonchalantly with a cocky lopsided smile.

Lexxa laughed, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "So sure of yourself, are you?"

Anakin smiled back. "You should start practicing."

"I'll start right now if you're not too worn out?"

Without another word the padawans pulled out their lightsabers and faced off.

After ten minutes of pushing each other around the training room, Lexxa decided to make her move. She locked her blade with Anakin's and then came out of the lock with a jerky sideways motion making Anakin's arm go back in a slightly wider arch then he would have liked. Lexxa jumped at him with a forward kick, knocking Anakin's lightsaber out of his hand. The saber went higher then she had planned, so she jumped for it. Anakin, regaining his concentration, ducked forward and hit Lexxa's knees knocking her off balance. He had miscalculated his move, however, and ended up on his back instead of on his feet at the end of the roll. Lexi landed next to him on her knees.

Lexxa fell back into a lying position and giggled happily. Anakin joined her.

Suddenly, Anakin fell silent and turned his head to look at Lexi. She faced him as well. Their eyes locked and she felt a shiver go down her spine. She turned her eyes away from his pure blue ones.

"It's been so long," Lexxa murmured. She dared to look back up at him. They lay there in silence staring at each other as they contemplated the feelings that ignited in both of them in the moment.

Anakin tensed. He shot up into a sitting position. Lexxa followed trying to blink away her confusion. "Ani, what's wrong?" Neither realized that Lexxa had called Anakin by his childhood nickname.

Anakin didn't stop to explain as he jumped to his feet and called his fallen lightsaber to his hand with the Force. Lexxa followed suit, still confused. "Anakin, what's wrong?"

Anakin shook his head vehemently. "Nothing. It's nothing really!"

"Anakin, something is bothering you, please tell me!"

_You're so beautiful_, he thought sadlyas hegazedat her, _too beautiful_. "I'm…I'm just a bit…I've been working really hard lately I…I forgot…I was going to meditate in the gardens," Anakin stuttered, tripping over his words pathetically as he searched for a way to get out of this awkward situation.

Lexxa threw her arms around him in a warm hug.

"Lexi?" Anakin asked, perplexed. He had pulled away from her, but hadn't let go of her waist.

"I just haven't seen you for too long," she whispered, embarrassed.

Anakin smiled and pulled her back close too him. Lexxa looked up at him so that their noses were almost touching.

"Padawan Skywalker? Padawan Lysk?"

The two young padawans jumped away from each other and swung around to see who had intruded on their private interlude.

"Master Kenobi!" Lexxa squeaked. This wasn't going to be good.

-

Obi-Wan had planned on getting an hour of practice in before his Padawan would show up to spar with him. He couldn't help but look forward to all their matches because they seemed to learn something from one another each time they fought, even after all of these years. What he didn't plan on was his intrusion on a very intimate moment between Ana's two best friends.

He cleared his throat. "Padawan Skywalker? Padawan Lysk?"

The two jumped from their close embrace and Lexxa let out a startled yelp of his name.

"What is going on here?" he asked, brows raised in curious interest.

Both seemed to fumble around for a moment, before Lexxa blurted out a sentence, "We were just sparring, Master. The tournament is coming up and we just wanted to be prepared."

Obi-Wan gauged Anakin's fervent nodding and blinked. "Prepared?...Indeed. What I saw did not look like preparation of any sort."

Lexxa looked crestfallen.

It was Anakin's turn to butt in, "Really, Master Kenobi. We were just sparring and Lexi-ah-Padawan Lysk tripped, so I had to catch her or she would've planted her face into the floor," Anakin nodded with a smile, seeming to believe that was a very good reason. Well, it seemed that way in his mind, but he cringed inwardly when he said it aloud.

Obi-Wan rose a brow. "Really? You must think I have the brain of a Bantha if you expect that to work," he muttered, blue-gray eyes gazing at them piercingly, "I should think the Council would like to hear of this latest development."

"No!" Lexi burst out desperately, "Please, don't, Master Kenobi. It won't happen again. We promise."

"And how am I to believe this?" Obi-Wan interrogated.

Lexi's mouth opened and closed as she fished for words to otherwise persuade him.

Anakin stepped out in front of her suddenly, his look one of strong confidence. "Don't bring her into this. This is between me and you."

Obi-Wan blinked, "Excuse me?"

Anakin frowned. "Ever since you laid eyes on me, you've never liked me. And now you're just trying to do something else to make things worse for me. But not this time, don't drag her into this."

Obi-Wan was the next to frown. "I don't know what you're talking about, but you drug Lexxa into this yourself."

"You know exactly what this is about," Anakin said darkly.

Obi-Wan returned Anakin's weighty stare with calm indifference, but a muscle twitching in his cheek gave away his true emotions. "You seem focused on the past, Padawan Skywalker. Now has nothing to do with my previous ties to you. Now is the two of you breaking a rule of the Jedi Order."

This time, Lexi stepped out from behind Anakin, her face completely earnest. "Please, Master Kenobi. We promise this will end here and now...you must know how we feel in some way? Would you expel _your_ padawan?"

Obi-Wan's head rose sharply at her words, his blue-gray eyes swirling into an almost muddy color. Lexxa Lysk was the cunning one. He would not say it aloud, he would not say that of course he would let _his_ padawan go with a warning. Instead, he let out an exasperated sigh and with a turn of the heel, left the room. He stopped at the doorway, looking back at them sternly. "It must stop now...if I find you again, you will be expelled without a second thought."

Lexi nodded hurriedly, and bowed. Obi-Wan regarded her for only a moment before disappearing. Lexi's shoulders slumped automatically as she let out a relieved breath. "That was close." She looked over at Anakin and frowned.

Anakin's head was down, his eyes glowering at the padded floor. "It's not fair..."

"Anakin," Lexi murmured in concern, reaching for his arm, but he moved away before she could grab his sleeve. He did not stop as he walked away, and then he too disappeared out the door, leaving Lexi to stand alone in the middle of the floor.

"Oh, Ani..."

-

* * *

- 

Ana was in the kitchen making some Corellian honey tea when Obi-Wan next entered the apartment. She was bringing down two cups when he appeared in the kitchen and sat down at the little island in the middle of the room. She looked over her shoulder at him, her long wavy locks spilling down her back. She had to blow a piece of her bangs out of her eyes to get a clear view of him.

"What happened to you? I waited in the Training Room, but you never showed up," she said more in question than irritation. She wasn't really bothered by his absence, she expected it sometimes. Obi-Wan was always away talking to Yoda, or some other Jedi Master, or who knew what. She turned away, blinking at that thought. She'd never really bothered to ask just what he did do when he was gone...

Obi-Wan sighed, taking his cup as she set it down before him. He took a sip before speaking, "Sorry, I had a bit of business to sort out. I promise it won't happen again."

Ana quirked a smile, drinking from her cup. "It's all right. You're not stressing yourself, are you?" she asked interrogatingly, her hazel orbs eyeing him suspiciously.

He grinned at her, making her heart squeeze a little. "No, Padawan. I am fine."

Ana nodded, drinking some more, preferring not to say anything. The word Padawan took the odd feeling from her chest as soon as it had come. She was a Padawan...and he was her Master. That was that.

"Is something wrong?" Obi-Wan asked, his bearded chin rested on an upturned palm as he gazed at her curiously.

Ana smiled and shook her head. There was a mild silence before she spoke. "The years just seem to have flown by. I'm caught a little off guard," she said sheepishly, her shy smile falling away to a bothered frown. "..I don't want to be a Jedi Knight yet..."

Obi-Wan blinked in surprise. "Why not?" Ana was only one mission away from an up in her ranking. Soon, he would be without a Padawan again. He was even thinking about taking another Padawan under his wing...but he didn't know if any other would ever be able to elicit the respect he had in Ana.

Ana sighed, looking off to the side. "You've just been such a great Master...I don't want it to end yet." She laughed weakly at her sentimental tone. "I'm sorry."

Obi-Wan watched her with a calm, sympathetic expression. "I know how you feel, Padawan. But I wouldn't worry, we'll be just as much of a team as we have always been."

Ana smiled. "Yeah." She finished her tea, wondering if Obi-Wan was right. Would things still be the same? She stood up, going to the sink. She knew the answer to that question...and she wouldn't say it, not even in her mind.

Her Knighthood would only act as a sort of obstructing bridge to the one thing she truly cared about.

Her hazel eyes glanced over at her Master, who was sipping the rest of his tea quietly.

-

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**TBC...**

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Sorry for the wait, we're going to try and start the day to day updating again. So another chapter should be up by tomorrow.

Thank you so much for reading!

-Aryll & Alley


	9. Lexi

"**Light in the Shadow**"

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Chapter 9

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Lexxa slipped quietly into one of the larger training rooms that were usually used by masters or experieced Knights. It was rather late in the evening and only some of the bright lights in the room were lit, leaving the corners in shadows. With her master still on his mission she felt much freer to go where she wanted without being interrogated. The only comfort she had was that things between her and her master were seeming to get better now. Not much, but at least they were finally forming a real bond, a bond she felt that she had lacked before. But she still felt intimidated by him. He was not someone you wanted to be on the wrong side of.

Lexi settled into a shadowy corner out of sight of the two pair of dueling knights. She had no interest in the pair on the opposite side of the room. She focused on the pair that was in perfect view though they would have a hard time noticing her. She eyed one of the duelists, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and nodded to herself. He was predictably using Soresu, his favored form. Lexxa noted with satisfaction that the green skinned Jedi that Kenobi was sparing with was using Ataru, her favored form.

She had been doing this for the last three nights. She had already seen him dueling with a Soresu user as himself and a Djem-So user. Tonight was in her favoras she sawthat he wasfighting an Ataru practitioner. She was determined to spy on the Knight. The tournament was in four days and she would practice relentlessly so that she would get into the tournament finals. And of course she would challenge none other than Knight Kenobi.

Anakin had barely spoken to her since that day in the training rooms when Kenobi had walked in on them. Anakin had reacted very harshly to what had happened. He spent all his time practicing anything physical. He was wearing himself out and Lexxa didn't like it. It was like Anakin to exhaust himself when something was bothering him. He avoided speaking to her about it and his shields always were strongest when he was around Ana.

Ana was another puzzle to solve. Lexi never thought she was much of a moody person, but lately she was that and she was distant. Of course asking Anakin about Ana was useless.

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( Flashback. )

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"Anakin, can I talk to you?" Lexxa asked taking a seat next to him. She had found him in a isolated part of the temple gardens.

"Sure," Anakin replied, not looking up at her.

"It's about Ana. She seems really distant lately. Do you know if she's ok? I mean, I don't think it has anything to do with me, but she's anxious about something, I feel it!"

"I'm not surprised," Anakin scoffed, "Her perfect Master probably told her to keep away from us because we're Jedi Rebels."

"Anakin!" Lexi chided softly, "Don't say that. I know you and Master Kenobi are at odds, but I'm sure he doesn't think-"

"You just think he's perfect like everyone else does!" Anakin said scowling as he got up.

Lexxa jumped up as well. "Anakin, I don't think that."

Anakin shook his head with a sad smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Sure you don't," he muttered sarcastically before walking away.

-

( End Flashback. )

-

After a couple of hours of watching, Lexxa gathered her holovid recorder and slipped out of the training room. She made her way to her apartment and slipped the holovid chip into the holoprojector and started to study the recording.

She would face Obi-Wan Kenobi and she would beat him.

-

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( 2 Days to the Tournament... )

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It was almost dinner time when Lexi entered one of the smaller training rooms in the temple. Her eyes were set on a certain fifteen year old padawan named Anakin. She slowly walked over to stand in his general vicinity as he was busy preforming a series of very complicated level 3 katas. It would be unfortunate to anyone who happened to get in his way.

He stopped after a few minutes, breathing swiftly. He brought his burning blue eyes to rest on Lexi, sweat sliding down his brow. "...what's the matter?" he asked edgily.

Lexi felt her insides wither a little. What was wrong with him?

She closed her eyes, sucking in a deep breath, sudden courage filling up all that hurt space. Words needed to be said, and things needed to be worked out. "I need to talk to you, Anakin," she continued on, not waiting for a reply, "Your recent behavior toward me has been rude and unjust, and I'm tired of you training so much. I'm sick with worry and all I can do is pace my room at night, and it's really, really causing me problems." Her mustered strength ran out and right into a well of despair. "I care about you so much, and I don't care about what anyone else says. It hurts when you walk around with a frown all day. I miss seeing your smile and I'm so frustrated," she went on, not even realizing the tears that were rushing down her face as she started to pace five feet back and forth, her hands moving rapidly in front of her, "I just want things to be like they used to be...and I wish -- I wish I hadn't gone on so many missions! We've been apart for so long..."

"Lexi!"

"And right when we reestablish our bond, that..._thing_ happens, and then you rush off..."

"_Lexi!_"

"And you won't tell me anything, not even when I ask you..."

"**Lexi!**"

She jumped at his loud exclamation, freezing in everything she was doing, whatever she was going to say next only leaving her mouth in the form of a shaky exhale. Anakin stood a few feet away, staring at her, and biting his bottom lip. Lexi frowned, bringing a hand up to her cheek. She blinked, taking her hand away to look at it when she felt the liquid of tears. "Oh..." she uttered for no particular reason.

Anakin's arms dropped to his sides in hopelessness, his head shaking gently. "I'm sorry, Lexi..."

Lexi turned her gaze on him, sniffing some. "What?"

Anakin let his blue orbs dart around momentarily before he closed the rest of the distance between them and eneveloped her in a firm hug. "I'm sorry...for everything. For ignoring you, for not telling you anything...for making you worry. I let my feelings get out of control...way out of control..."

Lexi closed her eyes sadly, her fingers wrapping around the folds on the chest of his tunic, her forehead resting against his shoulder. "It's okay...just promise me...no more of this...I just want to help you...because-"

"Don't," Anakin warned forlornly.

A sob escaped Lexi's lips, rattling her shoulders, and Anakin's hug became even tighter.

"I promise, Lexi...from now on, all my thoughts are your thoughts," he whispered in her ear softly, "Okay?"

Lexi nodded, sniffling some more. She gathered herself from her emotional collapse and stepped back a bit so that she could look up at Anakin. She decided that it was time to change the subject. Wiping at her eyes with her biege cloak, she spoke softly, "Who are you planning to take on, of the older Jedi, I mean?"

Anakin sighed, letting his hands fall from her shoulders reluctantly. They didn't want to have another repeat of last week. "I'm going to face your Master..."

"But why?" Lexi asked in mild confusion.

"We can face whoever we want, Lexi...and I choose your Master..." he gazed at her warmly for the first time in nearly two weeks, "He made the mistake of messing with you...and now he's going to pay for it."

Lexi gazed at him in wonder. This whole time? Had he only been training to face her Master?

"You're going to face Kenobi, aren't you?"

Lexi's eyes widened a bit. "Uhm...yes..."

"Well good," Anakin said with a curt nod, "we'll fight in this tournament for each other. To heal our wounds..." He ambled away, picking up his fallen lightsaber and twirling the handle in his fingers. "I know it sounds corny..."

"No." Lexi assured him. "I agree...to heal our wounds..."

Anakin stopped in the middle of the spongy training platform, staring at her thoughtfully. "Then we need to practice...practice everyday..."

Lexi nodded solemnly, taking her lightsaber into her own hand. "Together."

She walked out to meet him on the platform.

_This isn't about a game,_ she thought,_ this is about us...about the people who keep us apart. This is our only way of fighting back, of rebelling for our own cause. I know it's selfish, but I'll do anything for him. We can't let them split us apart...so all we can do, while they're shoving us farther and farther away, is push...push and push...even if the distance is getting wider, at least the pace is lethargic..._..

_I'll go wherever you will go, Anakin..._

_Wherever..._

-

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**TBC...**

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Ohh, interesting, eh? I hope I haven't lost you guys with that barren period of no updating...that would make me and Alley very sad. -sniff-

Anyway, if you find yourself confused, the bottom line is that Lexi and Anakin's relationship has always been in there, for some years now, they've always secretly liked each other, and the distance that they were forced to live in with Lexi beingoff worldas well as Anakin, it strengthened their bond and let's say the secret buds of caring blossomed! Lol, yay for metaphors.

Thank you for reading, and please review! Any questions, include them in your review or e-mail us.

-Aryll & Alley.


	10. Tournament Day Begins

Hello, again!

Tremendous author appreciation goes to **wosao**, **storyshark2005**, and **Monker**.

**Serena Kenobi: **I would answer your questions, but well, I rather you just find out for yourself. Some of this stuff is sort of obvious, but there will be a lot of twists. One thing for sure, Padmé will be in this story.

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"**Light In The Shadow**"

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Chapter 10

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( Tournament Day... )

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All the Jedi Padawans and Knights, even some Masters, were filling the large training room. The Padawans and Masters got to sit up in the observation decks while the Knights stood around on the sidelines of the large room where various Jedi Padawan would face off.

This year, nearly every Padawan eligible for the contest in the temple had entered the tournament. It was a very full house, but thankfully it was not so full that Jedi were crammed together. Of course, there was some cramming going on at the windows of the observation decks.

Excitement was thick in the air, and the Jedi Masters, most particularly, enjoyed the mess of emotions. It was a very uplifting sight for none other than Master Yoda, who had seen much turmoil and pain in his life. All of this raw energy and jubilation actually made him feel young again, which was a stunning feat seeing as he was over nine hundred years old.

Mace Windu appeared, settling in next to Yoda. "A promising tournament we have this year. Many aspiring Jedi are in our midst."

Yoda nodded with a gamely smile. "Does my heart good to see so many smiling faces."

"Agreed," Mace replied with a large grin. Not a minute here and he was already feeling the effects of the Padawans' anxiety. "I am looking forward to viewing the fights of a certain few."

"Hm," Yoda mumbled, his expression serious for a moment, but only a moment.

-

Ana stood before her Master for the last time until the tournament's end. The tournament would start soon and from there she would be dueling non-stop until there were only three winners. She could say that she had trained for this, trained for this hard, especially with her Master.

They had been very discreet about their training. Ana had worked on better perfecting her Jar'Kai. As a Youngling she had practiced in the ways of Form VI: Niman, which was a stepping stone to Form X: Jar'Kai, a Niman variant. Her training had been very odd. When Obi-Wan had took her as an apprentice, he had her delving into Jar'Kai, while she was busy mastering Niman at the same time. All of this time, Obi-Wan had been looking into the future. He knew she would master Form VI at an early age and go on to try and master Jar'Kai. So far she was exceptionally skilled in this form of lightsaber combat and getting better with each day.

She was lucky. The only other Padawan in the temple that had also mastered Niman and went on to perfect her skill in Jar'Kai was Serra Keto.

"Are you ready, my Padawan?"

Ana smiled warmly at Obi-Wan, nodding. "Ready as I'll ever be."

"Good," he said, returning her smile. He placed a hand on her shoulder and looked at her meaningfully. "We've practiced in every area of lightsaber combat...so you'll be ready for anything." He squeezed her shoulder. "Go out there and have fun." He winked.

Ana grinned affectionately. "Fun? Did you say fun, Master? I'm stunned!"

"None of your cheek," he murmured, nicking the bottom of her chin gently with a curled index finger.

She smirked, backing up. She would've said that she was going to make him proud, but he would've argued that this tournament wasn't about gaining pride, it was about perfecting yourself so that you could selflessly give everything to the Galaxy. To keep the people save, to keep everyone and everything safe. And to that, you give your all.

"See you at the top."

Obi-Wan nodded, smiling still. "See you at the top, Ana."

She gave him a sound salute and with that, turned to join the other Padawan competitors in the holding room.

-

Lexi stood next to Anakin where they were lined up in a room conjoined with the large Training Arena. She kept glancing at him, her thoughts racing about in her head. She actually managed to keep herself still, but Anakin was a near jiggling mess.

Lexi giggled and Anakin turned his head pointedly.

"Stop hopping around, you're going to wear yourself out before we even start."

Anakin rolled his eyes sardonically at her. "I highly doubt that. I have to do this or I think I just might explode."

Lexi smiled beautifully, exposing a row of pearly whites. "You're so melodramatic."

"Only for you, my dear, only for you," Anakin said off to the side as he continued his jiggling, trying to see over the heads of the Padawan in front of him.

Lexi rolled her eyes this time. She turned to see Ana making her way toward them, a happy smile on her face.

"Hey, excited you two?" Ana exclaimed, "I have no doubt that you're going to own this tournament!" There were assorted looks from Padawan close to them. Ana ducked her head sheepishly. "Whoops," she whispered.

Anakin grinned, distracted for the moment. "Well, I didn't train for nothing."

"I vouch for that," Ana retorted almost scoldingly. She had thought that Anakin's, as well as Lexi's, training habits over the last two weeks had been unhealthy.

Their friendship had been a little tense over that time, but, with Ana's new wave of good spiritedness, they had mended their issues and were the inseparable trio once more.

The issue had mostly been with Ana's uncertainty toward her Master and the things upcoming in her life. She had been troubled by them and found herself inadvertently irritated by it all. She had resolved her turmoil with three simple words.

_Come what may_.

She couldn't brood forever. It was taking a toll on her friends and on herself. She'd been rather ashamed of herself for these last few days. She still had a lot of growing up to do. Of course, "plenty of time for that, there is," Master Yoda had told her. She'd gone to him about her issue of becoming a Jedi Knight _only_. To dicuss a matter of love to a Master was almost like emotional suicide. You only had your heart crushed with a few well-phrased Jedi rules, and then further stamped upon by word-for-word statements of the Jedi Way.

Ana couldn't say if Master Yoda saw through her. He was very wise and often seemed to know everything there was to know about everything. But Ana was certain that she did not let her thoughts stray to any overly warm-hearted feelings about her Master, only platonic friendship while in the presence of a Jedi Master.

A raucous cheering brought Ana from her thoughts and back to the present. She blinked, noting by the cheering and the looks on her friends face that the tournament was starting.

It was time for them to show their true colors.

-

The Padawans exited the holding room and poured out into the Training Arena. The Jedi assembled roared with applause.

Ana glanced over at Anakin who was grinning so hard it looked as if his face was going to split in half. Lexi on the other hand had a very serious expression, but she seemed pleased with the claps resounding around them.

Lexi's gaze met her friend's. She nodded, offering a smile. Ana returned it, feeling uneasy. She knew that if she and Lexi both made it up to the top, they would have to fight at some point. She had sparred with Lexi many times, as with Anakin, but the thought of something so weighty, like this tournament, had her nervous. Ana knew that this was going to get to the other Padawans. She knew that this tournament was pride to them, well, most of them. And by the looks of Anakin, that's exactly what it was to him.

Ana inhaled deeply. This tournament would act as a lesson to a lot of these Padawans. The cocky would be taken down a notch by the more skilled and wise Padawan. And the wise Padawan would learn that there was so much more to lightsaber combat than just what the books told them.

She looked up at a large read-out board plastered to the metal wall opposite the entrance doors of the spacey training arena.

_Tournament will start 1 minute. _

_59, 58, 57..._

Ana looked away from the countdown as Jedi Knights acting as Tournament Officials got them in an ordered line next to a row of benches.

Ana sat down in her seat and after a few moments there was quiet except for the soft chatter of watching Padawan. Most Padawan competed in the tournament, but some were too young, and others were kept from the Tournament on their Master's wishes.

The Younglings were mostly kept out of the tournaments except for those allowed by Masters for whatever reasons. The Jedi Council thought it better if the younger, Masterless Jedi did not view the tournaments as they raised many questions and often incited them with idolization's.

_22, 21, 20..._

To Ana's suprise, Qui-Gon suddenly appeared in the center of the dueling mat, his arms spread, inviting silence which was quickly rewarded.

He spoke, "It is time for this tournament to begin. Padawans, let this event act as guidance in your training ahead." His voice was almost mezmerizing. His soft lilting accent drawing in all eyes, all attentions. "Learn from each and every Padawan you duel today. No matter how minimally. This tournament is not about winning, it is about furthering yourself for the good of the Jedi cause."

Ana raised a brow softly when she noticed an almost disdainful flash cross Qui-Gon's face, as if saying those words hurt his tongue in some way. She looked around some at other Padawan's, but they were still listening raptly and seemed not to notice a thing.

Ana gazed back at Qui-Gon and sighed. She might be guessing, but from her knowledge of Qui-Gon's previous cavilling, he was having problems saying this speech. And by the placement of his wince, the problem seemed to be with the Tournament rules.

And suddenly, Anakin leaned over to her. "My Master does not like the idea of pushing such ideals on the Padawans. He agrees with the objective of learning from each other, but he doesn't like this to be thought as something too serious. He wants the Padawans to have fun. The Jedi Council tries too hard to keep us in line and never thinks of our emotions along the way."

Ana frowned. "I'm sure that's not true. I don't blame your Master for the way he thinks, but we _can _have fun. Just because they say that, does not mean that we have to follow it. I wouldn't let it bother you. It's all about how you look at it, Anakin."

Anakin nodded vaguely, leaning away. He adapted a pensive expression.

Ana looked away. She rathered he thought about what she said. She knew various Padawans that complained a lot about the Jedi rules, and she thought it was pointless. What were they complaining about? As long as you had the Jedi objective in mind, whatever you did was yours to do. The Rules were guidelines, they weren't set in stone, though she was sure that Mace Windu would disagree severely.

Ana believed the Jedi to be a little too strict, but it was nothing that couldn't be changed with a little fluctuating of perspective. She fought for her own cause. To heal the galaxy. She did not think of bringing down enemies, of destroying Sith. She thought of a world where pain was not a factor. She knew this dream would never come true, but if she could, she wanted to get as close to it as possible. She wanted to heal everything and everyone. Even the Sith.

The Jedi believed that once you were consumed with the Dark Side, you were lost in it forever, but Ana did not look at it that way. There would always be a piece of the former person lingering, waiting to be saved from his or her pool of misery and hate.

"Ana," Anakin suddenly warned, elbowing her, "you're up."

Ana blinked in surprise. "Already?"

"Yeah, you're the first match. Now hurry up there. And try not to space while you're fighting." He smirked.

Ana was already up and heading for the duel center. She turned, giving Anakin a "hah, hah" look.

Lexi gave her a thumbs up and Ana returned the gesture before positioning herself fully in the circle.

Qui-Gon gave her a friendly smile which she reflected as both waited for the other duelist to appear on the mat.

Ana's gaze wandered to the read-out board as she finally realized that she was fighting someone but she didn't know who. She felt her heart skip a beat as she read.

_Mariana Star vs. Serra Keto_

Serra Keto! Oh, for the love of the stars, that had to be rigged, she thought. This match was either going to be a dead end or one was going to be better than the other. She and Serra were both Form X practitioners, and they were good at it, too. What were the odds, really?

Ana took in another deep breath. Nothing to be worried about, she had expected this outcome, she just hadn't thought that it would happen so soon, and in the first match, no less.

Serra came to stand two meters from Ana, her hands clasped behind her back. Each gazed at the other curiously, though Serra's gaze was more cold. Ana could tell that she was raring to fight.

"All right, let this match open the tournament officially," Qui-Gon stated, "Disarm your opponent or have them surrender, either will win the match. You may start." And then he stepped back.

Instantly, Ana and Serra started to circle each other, hands by their twin sabers.

Jedi Knights were standing close by. Strict measures were taken to ensure that the Padawans did not get out of hand and try to maul each other. No such thing had ever happened in the tournament history and Ana doubted that it would. Jedi were not mindless killing machines, they were protectors, and they kept that in mind.

Suddenly, Serra ignited one saber and charged at her, igniting the other in the next second. Ana had already flipped her blue blades out and ignited them, using her right defensive arm to block the incoming attack from Serra's right blade.

Ana noted this with mild irritation. Serra's defense arm was her left while the offensive was her right. Ana's reverse.

Serra pushed Ana around the mat with her forceful thrusts, Ana parrying every one of them. She noticed that Serra seemed a little frustrated by this and strengthened her attack.

Ana decided it was time to go on the offensive, so quickly warding off an incoming blow, she used the force to propell herself in a flip, landing at the edge of the mat and then moving in to attack Serra.

Serra had already whirled around to face Ana and was ready for her attack. The fight grew incredibly intense as both Padawans came at each other with their offensive all.

In the middle of the fight, Ana started incorperating her defense into her offense, trying to conserve energy, while Serra remained attacking, obviously wanting to end the match as soon as possible.

Ana was very impressed with Serra. She was strong and unrelenting.

She studied Serra's moves and blows as she fought. The differences between them were gaping. Ana's style reflected her Master's. Calm, serene, force sensitive. She waited for the right moment to bring an end to the situation.

Serra was very clever, she tied the Force into her blade thrusts, making them stronger, more calculated. She was patient, but did not wait for opportunites, she made them.

Ana had to be very attentive if she wanted to avoid being disarmed. She could feel the end of the match coming around though, and she welcomed it, as her defensive arm was growing tired.

And then it happened, Serra slipped up. It was extremely slight, just a tiny change in body position, but it was all Ana needed. She ducked down, sweeping at Serra's legs, but the Padawan leapt up, dodging the attack. Serra came down expecting to aim her green blades at Ana's throat, but Ana had already slid under Serra's jump and aimed her right glowing blue blade at her opponent's back as she landed.

"Match end," Qui-Gon chimed in, stepping up to Ana, who stood and extinguished her blades. Serra did the same, looking edgy. "Mariana Star is the winner. Well fought, both of you. You may return to your seats." Qui-Gon turned to Ana. "You will be going on to the next round."

Ana bowed, as did Serra, then the two opponents shook hands.

"You're very attentive...I didn't expect you to catch such a small change. I was trying to shift my offensive arm to conserve energy when I started to familarize your moves," Serra explained.

Ana smiled gently. "You're an amazing wielder of Jar'Kai. Mistakes happen."

"Yes," Serra said, then she turned and headed back to her seat, as did Ana. Ana was sure that Serra would be looking forward to a rematch next year. Unfortunately, this year was the first and last that Ana had chosen to compete in. Serra was still very young, and would probably compete in tournaments to come. She was a bright student, and on top of that, she was tall even for being so young, which gave her an advantage in fighting. Ana had no doubt that Serra would reach Knighthood early.

"You were great!" Lexi enthused, standing to hug Ana.

"Thanks, but it wasn't easy," Ana said with a heavy exhale, "If this is how the rest of the competition is going to be, I don't know if I'm going to make it to the finals."

Anakin laughed. "You'll make it to the finals! I've fought Serra before. She's about the toughest you get in this tournament. There are a little tougher, but not too many."

Ana raised a brow, smirking. "Well, looks like you don't have any worries."

"Nope!"

Ana and Lexi giggled together. Anakin was a hopeless case. He would always be charging forward, striving to make himself known.

"Oh!" Lexi said, startled, "I'm next!"

Ana turned to look at the board.

_Lexxa Lysk vs Stass Allie_

Ana's eyes widened. "Oh, good luck, Lexi."

Lexi glared at Ana playfully. "I can just hear the confidence in your tone."

Ana laughed. "I'm just kidding. Get over there and make it happen."

Lexi lightly punched Ana on the arm and then with a rather warm smile thrown Anakin's way, walked out to meet her opponent.

Ana sat down along with Anakin. Stass Allie, now that was a force to be reckoned with. Of course, Lexi certainly wasn't a push-over. This match was likely to be very intense.

An unintentional sadness rested in Ana's heart at that moment. She wished that Nave-Aumry could be here to participate in the Tournament. She would definitely have made it up to the finals. Unfortunately, her friend was stuck with her Master in the Outer Rim seeing to some smaller planet skirmishes. It was nothing catastrophic, but it was important none-the-less. The Republic wanted peace, and the Jedi tried to accomplish that as peacefully as possible.

Ana put those thoughts away and refocused her attention on Lexi. Her gaze momentarily flickered to Anakin. Her insidessquirmed uncomfortablyas she noticed how intent Anakin's eyes were upon Lexi's form. This was all she needed to give proof of her previous suspicions. Her friends were close, closer than she originally thought.

Ana sighed. Anakin had better watch out, he was making himself an open book. She would have to talk to Lexi about that.

She didn't want her friends to be expelled.

-

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**TBC...**

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Thank you for reading, we'll get the rest of the fights out in the next chapter. This tournament is a one day thing, just so you all know.

Hope you enjoyed!

-Aryll & Alley


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